Man convicted after bully dog left young girl with hole in her head

A man whose bully dog brutally attacked a young girl and left her with a hole in her head has been convicted.

Thomas McStay, 46, was the owner of pocket American bully named Poppy that was "dangerously out of control" at his home in Glasgow's Royston, on July 16 2022.

The "muscly" dog - which had initially been kept in doors after jumping on the four-year-old - escaped and ran towards her.

Poppy pounced on the girl which left her head gushing with blood and also stained her clothing.

The dog grabbed her by the hair and shook her while her terrified dad had to intervene and throw the pet across the garden during the 90 second incident.

First offender McStay was found guilty at Glasgow Sheriff Court of the single charge.

READ MORE: Glasgow woman calls for licences for all dog owners after XL Bully ban.

Sheriff Andrew Cubie said: "Poppy was let out inadvertently and went to the girl, maybe attracted by the flowers in her hair.

“Poppy knocked her over and bit her on the head.

“The medical evidence was compelling. The geometry of the nature of the injury was considered as a strike of a dog bite. Poppy was responsible for that injury.

“Poppy was dangerously out of control and attacked and bit the girl to the head to her injury.

"This is established beyond reasonable doubt and I convict you."

The 30-year-old dad told a court that he, his partner and the girl attended a barbecue at McStay’s home in Glasgow’s Royston.

The stonemason said that the dog jumped on the girl when she entered the garden.

The man claimed that he thought the dog - he described as “well built and quite muscly” - was initially playing with his daughter.

He stated that the dog was then kept in the house.

The witness said that his daughter was later put into a neighbour’s garden while Poppy was allowed back out to do the toilet.

He stated that the dog barked at her from through the fence before being put back into the house.

The man claimed that the dog was let out by someone and Poppy headed to the garden.

He said: “It clocked my daughter again and pounced on her.

“She was on her back and her head was to the side.

“The dog grabbed her by the hair and it had a full clump of her hair in the dog’s mouth.

“The dog was shaking about quite aggressively and everyone was screaming to get Poppy off of her.”

READ MORE: Hamilton woman heard screams during suspected XL Bully attack.

He stated that a woman at the scene put her finger in Poppy’s mouth as he tried to get the dog off the girl.

The man added: “I lifted the dog up and threw it down the bottom of the garden to get my daughter.

“I managed to lift her up and the dog came back and was aggressive - barking.

“As I lifted her I noticed the amount of blood gushing from the back of her head."

The man stated that he noticed that a bit of the girl’s hair was missing when he put a towel on her head.

He added: "She had a swimming costume on and everything was just red with blood."

The man stated that the incident lasted between one minute and 90 seconds.

He stated that the girl was taken to hospital for treatment when he saw the girl's wound.

Prosecutor Hazel Kerr asked what he saw and the witness responded: "To me, it looked like a hole and indentation on her head."

The man claimed that his daughter spent a few days in hospital and was given a bandage for her head.

Miss Kerr asked the witness what McStay was doing.

The man replied: "I was trying to get the dog off and he was just standing there so he was."

The fiscal depute later asked if McStay gave any instructions to the dog at any point and he said: "No."

Sentence was deferred pending background reports until next month.

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