Man jailed after girl, 3, mauled in face by pit bull outside pub

Harris Vinten has been jailed after his dog attacked a three-year-old girl
-Credit: (Image: Mersyeside Police)


A man has been jailed after his dog attacked a three-year-old girl and left her with serious facial injuries. Harris Vinten's pit bull attacked the girl outside the Market Tavern Pub, on Newton Gardens in Kirkby, on September 2 last year.

The attack, which left the girl with significant facial injuries that required treatment at Alder Hey Children’s Hospital, happened at around 3.20pm. Vinten was arrested at the scene and subsequently charged with the offence. The dog was seized and humanely destroyed with the consent of the owner.

Vinten, 32, of Thompson Avenue, in Ormskirk, pleaded guilty to being the owner and person in charge of the dog, which was dangerously out of control causing injury. He was jailed today, Thursday, October 10, for 16 months at Liverpool Crown Court. As well as a prison sentence, Vinten has also been banned from owning dogs for four years.

READ MORE: Body of a man found in Merseyside park

READ MORE: Fire crews in Kensington as manhole cover 'blown off'

Detective Constable Beth Flintham, who was the officer in charge of this case, said: “This was a horrific attack on a young girl, who suffered significant injuries to her face and required hospital treatment. Thankfully we were able to arrest Vinten at the scene and seized the dog, which was later established to be a pit bull, which is a banned breed.

“In this country, it’s against the law to own certain types of dogs, which includes pit bulls. We can only hope that this case gives a warning to dog owners, regardless of their breed of dog, about the importance of keeping their pets under control in public places. We will act on all information provided on suspected irresponsible dog ownership. Failing to keep your dog under control can lead to the worst outcome imaginable.”

Call 999 if a dog is posing an immediate threat to the safety of the public, or pass other information via @Merpol CC or Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111. You can also report other concerns about dogs via your local authority.