The mum of a schoolboy that was mauled to death by a dog named Beast has recalled the agonising final moments of her son's life.
Jack Lis, 10, was savaged by the bulldog while playing at a friend's house after school on November 8 last year.
Today, Brandon Hayden, 19, and Amy Salter, 28, were jailed for a total of seven years over the tragic death in in Penyrheol, near Caerphilly in Wales.
Around 30 members of Jack's family sat in the public gallery to hear the sentencing on Friday, reports Wales Online.
Cardiff Crown Court heard harrowing details of the final moments of Jack's life, when firearms officers were sent to the scene and entered the address with loaded firearms before Beast was shot dead in an upstairs bedroom.
On the morning of November 8, Amy Salter went to work. Jack was invited to Salter’s home when no adults were at the house but Beast was at the house having been dropped back by Hayden who had taken him out for a walk.
Describing the attack, Mr James said: “Jack came into the address and stroked Beast who jumped up, put two paws on his shoulder which caused him to go to the floor and Beast attacked Jack.”
The court heard attempts were made to save Jack but Beast was “too powerful”.
A post mortem on the dog later revealed he weighed 43.75kg or 96.5 pounds in weight and was described as “muscular”.
A considerable crowd had gathered outside Ms Salter’s address including Jack’s parents. There was some confusion about the identity of the child who had been killed but it became apparent to police that it was Jack due to descriptions provided by his parents.
Mr James said: “The officers had to break the devastating news to Jack’s parents their son had died.”
Police officer pulled Jack's body out of the house. Police and paramedics attended the scene and there was confusion about the number of children who were inside the house with the dog.
They tried to gain entry by banging on the kitchen window to distract Beast.
Sergeant Ross Phillips reached inside and pulled Jack out of the address and into the garden. He had to hold Beast off as he tried to get out of the address.
Paramedics immediately attended to Jack but he was already dead having succumbed to his injuries.
Neighbour Kurt Wiegold rushed to Ms Salter’s address and through the glass panel of the door could see Beast still attacking Jack and he could not get in.
Mr James said: “He described seeing a terrible scene through a small opening in the door. He closed the door to prevent Beast getting out and attacking others and called the emergency services."
Hayden arrived at the scene. He opened the door, looked inside the address and quickly closed it.
Mr Wiegold described Hayden “freaking out” and left the scene when the police arrived.
Jack's heartbroken mum Emma Whitefield made a heartbreaking statement about seeing the paramedics walk away from her son's body when he couldn't be saved.
She added she suffers from panic attacks and is afraid to go out.
In a victim personal statement read out to the court, Ms Whitfield said: “Jack was my first-born son, he was a first grandchild, a first great-grandchild, and after having my second son, he was a big brother too. He was all these things and so much more. Losing him has left a huge rift in mine and my family’s life. Not only family but friends too.
“Friends of his age are grieving in a way that no child should ever have to. Jack’s passing has shaken more than just his friends and family.
"There is a whole school staff too who seen him through nursery through to the start of his last year of primary.
“It’s obvious to say that since the day this happened my life and my family’s life will never be the same again.
"I’m his mum, and no mum should ever have the last images of their child as being dragged from a house, knowing deep down they’re gone by praying that it isn’t so.
"No mum should ever have to see paramedics walking away from their son because nothing can be done."
Ms Whitfield says she sees visions of the dog and the attack when she closes her eyes.
She said: “I close my eyes, I see the animal and its teeth. I hear the barking. I have severe panic attacks and I have horrifying flashbacks. Several times a day I am put straight back to that place. I relive the nightmare multiple times.
“Before this I was not a nervous person, I was not someone who saw the bad in things and I was not someone who suffered with their mental health. But I am now one of those people.
"I used to be happy, bubbly, fun. Outside the house I am unable to cope with everyday sounds including sirens, dogs barking and loud bangs like the gunshot I had no choice but to listen to when the animal was destroyed.
"I have counselling, I have doctor reviews for medication to manage PTSD, caused by all of this.”
The mum said the impact had been felt across the whole family.
She said: “This has impacted more than just me, Jack has siblings on my side and his dad’s side too, they are suffering. He has a nanny and a bampy who he idolised. Even a great-grandmother who has questioned why such a young life and lovable child has been taken in this way, when she has led a longer, fuller life, she asks why not her instead? As Jack’s mum I have often questioned why my boy? Why Jack? I would give my life trying to protect him, but I couldn’t even do this. Because he wasn’t home. He wasn’t somewhere familiar.
“His younger brother, my other son, has been affected massively. They did everything together. Shared a room, went out to play, if one had something the other did too. I always brought things in twos. Now he is lost. He is suffering. What does he do without his big brother? He cries, he gets angry, he doesn’t understand why his brother was taken like this when all he did was go out to play. He won’t sleep in his bedroom because he can’t bear the pain of being alone. As his mumI want to take the pain away, but I know I can’t because I am feeling the same pain, and this cannot be healed.
“Throughout the process I have felt all kinds of emotions. I’m angry because my child went out to play and didn’t come home. I’m angry because the people who done this to us were able to go out on the weekends and have fun - not caring for what happened. Even having the audacity to go on and try selling a puppy of the same breed and name. As Jack’s mother, I feel I am being laughed at and I feel that there is no remorse or regret for what has been done.
“I have become paranoid because everyone knows who I am now around where I live and I worry for what they think, who they know and what they know. Before all of this, people didn’t know who I was. I didn’t know who people were unless it was to do with the school. I kept myself in a community where everyone knows each other, a community in which I am now trapped. Because when I go left outside of my house I pass the house of one of the defendants, where even people there have made me feel uneasy with looks and walking the same breed dogs outside my house.
"When I go right, I pass the street where it happened, a street where my second son has some friends, places he won’t even think about going, he’s missing out on sleepovers and birthdays because of this as well as day to day life, normal activities that every child could and should take for granted. I am trapped in what used to be our family home. Now it’s broken and will never be the same.”
The statement concludes: “I’m sad, more than sad, I’m distraught. Every day I get up and should be getting two boys ready for the day ahead, but now it’s just one. There is a massive empty space where Jack once was in every part of my life. I must walk past his class every school day, go past the places he loved, past the friends he kept close. Outside on our drive is a project car, and Jack was helping do bits with this because he was car mad. I can’t do the things I once enjoyed because the person who enjoyed them most isn’t here anymore.
“I feel guilty because I am alive and able to do the things Jack enjoyed, but I can’t do them because the pain is too much knowing how excited he would be to help.
“Jack’s death was not my choice. It was a series of choices made by other people who had absolutely nothing to do with our lives. Their choices have led to Jack no longer being able to do his enjoyable things.
“Other members of our family have been left with huge empty spaces too. He was young and he was loved by so many and is now missed by so many. Some of the last conversations we had as a family were about Christmas presents and Jack told us what he wanted. Being able to buy his Christmas presents was even taken from us because all he asked for was clothes. We were no longer shopping for Christmas presents, we were shopping for clothes for Jack to be buried in.
“This absolute torture has traumatised us as a family unit, extended family included. It’s soul destroying that all we have left are items and pictures. We should still have our Jack here in person to talk to. But instead, we say good morning and goodnight to pictures without a response. This is something that will be with us forever. This is something, I Jack’s mum, will never get over or recover from.”
There was also a statement from Jack’s father John Lis.
He said: “How can I find the words to describe the impact that my son Jack’s tragic unnecessary death has had on mine and my family’s life; there isn’t any. Losing a child is heartbreaking to say the least, but to lose a child in such a horrific, unimaginable way is not something that any one would ever be able to come to terms with or accept. It’s not something that any parent should have to deal with or think about.
“I feel like a huge part of my insides have been ripped away from me, I feel empty and numb, I cannot focus on anything and the pain is unbearable. The circumstances and the thought of how my son Jack must have been feeling at that time; all alone, in pain, frightened to death haunts me every day and night, I cannot close my eyes at night and think of anything else.
“I turned to alcohol; a lot of alcohol and took more medication than I should, trying desperately to numb the pain, something that I’ve never done before and this put a huge strain on my relationship with my wife and my other children but I just could not see any other way to get through each day.
“I’m not ashamed to admit it but I struggle to find a reason to get up in the morning and live another day with Jack. I have the amazing support of my wife, children and close family but it just doesn’t seem to make a difference to me, my thoughts or anything, nothing eases the pain, I just find it too difficult, it’s just too hard.
“My family have sought professional help for me but I cannot bring myself to talk about it, re-living that horrendous day is not something I can cope with at this time. I feel ashamed that my wife and children are also suffering hugely since Jack’s death and I cannot comfort them or be there for them as a husband and dad should be, but the pain and emptiness that I’m feeling drains me of all my strength…
“Jack was 10-yearsold and had his whole life ahead of him, but this was taken from him so unnecessarily and so tragically. I’ll never get to see him turn into a young man, learn to drive, get married or have children of his own, his brothers and sisters are so young they won’t remember him. All I can pray for is that we get some justice for Jack’s needless death and that lessons will be learnt preventing any other child and family suffering as we are.”
Hayden entered the dock this morning wearing a grey tracksuit alongside Salter, who wore a black scarf and dress.
The pair had pleaded guilty to being in charge of a dog dangerously out of control, causing injury resulting in Jack's death.
Hayden was sentenced to a total of four years and six months detention in a young offenders’ institution, and Salter was sentenced to a total of three years imprisonment.
CCTV footage was played to the court showing three incidents of Beast lunging and barking at people while on a leash.
Sentencing, Judge Michael Fitton QC said: “I’d like to pay my personal respects and express the court’s condolences to the family, loved ones and all those that knew him.
“Every life this court learns about is itself precious and the value of every life is greater of course to those who knew and lived the individual."
He continued: "For any child to lose their life at the age of 10 is bad enough but the circumstances we have heard and read and the pain expressed in VPS in intense terms the unbearable impact and harm it has done to those who knew and loved Jack.
“His death was an utterly tragic and needless event, it should never have happened and need never have happened.”
Both defendants were also banned from owning or keeping a dog indefinitely.
The emergency services including paramedics from the Welsh Ambulance Service were called to the house at around 3.55pm but were unable to save him.
He suffered severe injuries to the head and neck described as "unsurvivable", an inquest opening into Jack's death heard.
Police firearms officers attended the scene and shot the dog.
The animal was later found to be a 43.75kg (96.5lb) American bully or XL bully, which are not on the banned breed list.
