Doncaster dog attack: Father jailed over baby's death

Flowers were left at the home of Elon Jase Ellis-Joynes after his death at Welfare Road, Doncaster

A father whose out-of-control dog killed his unaccompanied 12-day-old baby has been jailed for four years.

Elon Jase Ellis-Joynes was mauled by a Chow Chow Alsatian-cross at his home in Doncaster, South Yorkshire, in 2020.

Sheffield Crown Court heard Stephen Joynes, 36, hit and kicked his dog, failed to train it with children and allowed it to scare his neighbours.

The same dog had injured an older child weeks earlier, with a judge calling Joynes an "utterly inadequate owner".

Joynes previously admitted being the owner of a dog which caused death when dangerously out of control.

An identical charge against Elon's mother, Abigail Ellis, 28, was dropped.

Richard Thyne, prosecuting, said Joynes have moved into Ms Ellis's home in Welfare Road after the pair began a relationship and had brought the dog, called Teddy, with him.

He said it had been "banished to the back garden" at the time of Elon's death, but was found inside the house standing and growling over the injured baby on 13 September.

Elon was taken to Doncaster Royal Infirmary but died that afternoon, the court heard.

Mr Thyne said neighbours had doubled the height of their garden fences in the months before Elon's death as Teddy would often leap over the boundary.

Another neighbour reported seeing Joynes "kick and shout at the dog" for escaping, the court heard.

'Tragedy waiting to happen'

Mr Thyne said Ms Ellis had gone to the toilet and Joynes was in the garden when Elon was attacked in the living room.

The baby had between 30 and 40 puncture wounds and two lacerations to the torso and abdomen, the court heard.

Edward Moss, representing Joynes, said he had no previous convictions and was having counselling for post-traumatic stress disorder following his son's death.

Sentencing Joynes, judge Jeremy Richardson QC said Elon's death was "a tragedy waiting to happen".

"You knew the dog was unmanageable and had vicious characteristics," he said.

"You had made no attempt to socialise the dog with children - all you did was kick and hit the dog and put it outside.

"You were an utterly inadequate dog owner and failed to protect your infant son."

The court heard the dog had been put down, with Joynes also banned from keeping dogs for 15 years.

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