A 45-year-old woman, whose ferocious dogs killed a teenage girl, walked free from a British court today with a 16-week suspended jail sentence, prompting angry reaction from the family of the victim.
Jade Anderson died on March 26 when four dogs of Beverley Concannon mauled to death the 14-year-old girl in Atherton, Greater Manchester.
At Wigan Magistrates Court, Concannon was given a 16-week jail term, suspended for 12 months, after admitting causing suffering to the four animals.
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Concannon, who is on benefits, was ordered to pay costs and a victim surcharge totaling 165 pounds. She was also banned from keeping dogs indefinitely.
Jade had been at Concannon's house in Chaucer Grove visiting a teenage friend.
The judge said Concannon, who was out of the house when Jade was attacked, should have been aware of her dogs' aggression.
Concannon kept one of her dogs, a big American bull mastiff, in a tiny cage where it went "stir crazy" along with two other pit bulls and and another bull mastiff which were all kept cooped up in her council house.
The conditions led to them becoming stressed and "hyper aggressive" and they turned on and savaged to death Jade on March 26.
Speaking after Concannon's sentencing, Jade's stepfather Michael Anderson said: "I'm devastated and disgusted in the justice system.
"Today was just about dangerous dogs. I think she should be held responsible for Jade.
"We have got a life sentence. It has absolutely ripped us apart," the BBC quoted Anderson as saying.
In September, the Crown Prosecution Service ruled there was "insufficient evidence" to bring a charge of manslaughter by gross negligence against Concannon.
It was also not possible to bring charges under the Dangerous Dogs Act because her animals were not banned breeds and were not out of control in a public place.
