Parents of Rochdale three-year-old mauled to death by ‘out of control’ dog jailed

The parents of a young boy who was mauled to death by a dog described as ‘dangerously out of control’ have now been jailed.

Emergency services were called to Carr Farm, on Tunshill Lane in Rochdale, at around 1:10pm on Sunday 15 May 2022, after Daniel Twigg – who was three years old at the time – was attacked by a dog, believed to be a Cane Corso named Sid.

Despite the best efforts of emergency services at the scene, and trauma staff at Manchester Children’s Hospital, Daniel sadly died from multiple head and neck injuries later that afternoon.

The dog was one of eleven kept on the property, which the family moved into two months earlier, and the tragic incident occurred when Daniel entered a dog pen unsupervised, where Sid and another dog were housed in ‘poor conditions’.

Specialist officers from Greater Manchester Police‘s (GMP) Tactical Aid Unit and Dog Unit attended the scene, securing the area and safely removing the dogs.

Sid, who was said to be showing signs of ‘extreme agitation’, was subsequently humanely destroyed at the scene by a firearms officer.

The two parents, Mark Twigg and Joanne Bedford, were sentenced at Manchester Minshull Street Crown Court las week after they were found guilty of being a person in charge of a dog dangerously out of control causing injury.

Joanne was sentenced to three years and six months in prison, and is disqualified from keeping a dog for 15 years, and Mark received a custodial sentence of two years and eight months, as well as being disqualified from keeping a dog for 15 years.

Speaking following the sentencing of the parents last week, Detective Sergeant Mark Evans, from GMP’s Major Incident Team, said: “This was a deeply tragic and traumatic incident that has left a permanent mark on everyone involved from Daniel’s family and neighbours to the officers and medical professionals who responded that day.

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“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.”

Featured Image – GMP