Dog owner whose pet mauled his brother to death jailed for four-and-a-half years

Gary Stevens, 55, was drunk when his Cane Corso attacked and killed his brother at their home.

Gary Stevens arriving at Derby Crown Court (PA) (PA Archive)

A dog owner whose eight-stone Cane Corso mauled to death his younger brother by causing horrific injuries has been jailed for four-and-a-half years.

Gary Stevens knew the 14-month-old dog was aggressive and “would normally go for the face and neck” before it attacked his sibling Wayne Stevens, Derby Crown Court was told.

Stevens, 55, sat with his head bowed in the dock as prosecutors outlined how his brother was found dead at their home in Cameron Road, Normanton, Derby, after a 999 call at 5.52am on April 22 last year.

Judge Shaun Smith KC was told Stevens wrongly told an emergency operator the Cane Corso was a poodle before police and paramedics were confronted by the “incredibly heavy” dog.

After hearing how Stevens was abusive to emergency crews before the “frenzied” dog was repeatedly tasered and eventually shot almost an hour later, Judge Smith told the father-of-three: “Paramedics and police officers attended the scene and you came to the front door clearly very drunk.

“You were obstructive as your exchanges with the officers continued.

“Police officers tried to persuade you to bring the dog under control – your response was to mock them for standing back.”

The judge added: “I am entirely satisfied that you clearly knew of the dangers this dog presented prior to that fateful night.

“There was a lack or loss of control of the dog due to the influence of alcohol.”

During his sentencing remarks, the judge accepted that witnessing the death of his brother and being unsuccessful in saving him was likely to have affected the defendant’s mental health.

The court was told the victim, aged 51, who had been drinking vodka with his brother after returning from a pub, died near the foot of a stairway after suffering what the judge summarised as “multiple, massive and horrific” injuries.

Stevens, now of Vicarage Road, Mickleover, Derby, pleaded guilty in September last year to being in charge of a dog dangerously out of control causing injury resulting in the death.

As part of his sentence, Stevens was also given a life ban from keeping a dog.

The court was told the Cane Corso was a “blend with some sort of bull terrier” which was not an XL bully, and was given to Stevens by a mother-of-five who had “too much going on” to look after it.

Prosecutor Laura Pitman told the court Stevens had sworn at officers, held the dog’s lead slackly and let the animal loose, causing some of the emergency services present to “retreat” inside vehicles.

An ambulance technician “bravely” entered the premises and was bitten on the thigh as he checked on the casualty, who was seen to be deceased.

In police interviews, Ms Pitman told the court, Stevens said: “The dog would normally go for the face or neck area if it was aggressive because that’s what these dogs do – they are biting dogs.”

Initially, Stevens had used a cage to protect others, but later let the dog roam inside his property.

Elsewhere in the interviews, he described the pet as “assertive” and said it had previously attacked an Akita, and had “gone for” and “had a look at” his two other brothers.

Asked by police how he believed the fatal incident had happened, Stevens said of Wayne: “My brother speaks with his hands, especially after a drink.

It's something he will never forget and something he will never forgive himself for. His remorse is genuine

Defence laywer Tony Stanford

“He can be quite aggressive in his tone and the dog would react to that.

“I think that must have been the trigger – it’s the only thing I can think of.”

During mitigation, defence counsel Tony Stanford said Stevens had been subjected to severe violence during his childhood and had offered Wayne somewhere to live at a time when he was homeless.

“It’s something he will never forget and something he will never forgive himself for,” Mr Stanford said. “His remorse is genuine.”

Commenting after the hearing, Detective Inspector Chris Barker said: “This was a very difficult incident which put officers and paramedics at significant risk, and I would like to extend my gratitude to those who attended.

“They did everything they could to try and protect everyone involved, and not cause harm to the dog involved, however, ultimately, there was no other option than for it to be destroyed.

“I am sure the swift actions and clear decision-making at the scene helped prevent further injury to others.

“My thoughts, as they have been from the start of this investigation, are with Wayne’s family and I thank them for their support throughout this process.”