Parents jailed after boy, 3, killed in dog attack

Daniel Twigg was killed in a dog attack on a farm in Rochdale in 2022

The parents of a three-year-old boy who was mauled to death by two dogs have been jailed.

Daniel Twigg died from injuries including bites to the neck from two large mastiff-type dogs after letting himself into a fenced yard at Carr Farm, Rochdale, on 15 May 2022.

His parents, Mark Twigg, 43, and Joanne Bedford, 37, were each found guilty at trial earlier this year of being a person in charge of a dangerous dog which caused injury.

At Manchester Crown Court on Friday, Twigg was sentenced to two years and eight months in jail and Bedford was jailed for three years and six months, and both were given a 15-year ban from owning dogs.

The family had moved to the farm in March 2022 to look after the property, and several dogs who belonged to the farm's owner, Matthew Brown, the court heard.

The two dogs that attacked Daniel - named Sid and Tiny - weighed around 110 lbs (50 kg) and were used for breeding and as guard dogs.

'Mournful duty'

Judge Mr Justice Timothy Kerr told the pair: "No sentence in a case such as this can undo the damage done, nor assuage the grief of the bereaved.

"You have both lost your beloved son.

"The wrongdoing that led to Daniel's death must be punished, and it is my mournful duty to see it done."

Greater Manchester Police Det Sergeant Mark Evans said Daniel's death "left a permanent mark on everyone involved".

He added: "Daniel was a bright, curious little boy who had grown up around dogs, but as a toddler, he couldn't understand the risks they could pose.

"What happened to him was deeply tragic and I want to thank the teams who worked tirelessly to bring justice for Daniel."

At their trial in July, the couple were cleared of Daniel's gross negligence manslaughter.