An NHS nurse and her daughter have been banned from keeping dogs after a Staffy-cross in their care horrifically mauled a toddler, leaving her scarred for life.
Laura Simmers, 40, and Sarah Simmers, 19, admitted being in charge of a Staffordshire terrier cross called Benji when it attacked the 20-month-old girl at a family birthday party and another man less than two months later.
In horrific scenes, the snarling dog pinned the toddler to the floor and mauled her face just 15 minutes after the family arrived at the get-together in the Cove area of Aberdeen.
The child – who cannot be named for legal reasons – was left with life-changing injuries and she may require plastic surgery when she grows up.
On Friday, the two women appeared in the dock at Aberdeen Sheriff Court and were each banned from owning or keeping dogs for one year.
Following the verdict, the little girl’s mum said that despite the Simmers expressing their remorse they have never received an apology for what happened.
She also expressed her disappointment at what she considered a light sentence.
“I don’t understand why there wasn’t more emphasis put on the fact that a toddler could have been killed that day,” she said.
“I’m so disappointed – we wanted that dog destroyed. I expected the dog ban to be for longer than a year.
“We’ve been completely let down.”
Disturbing details of dog attack in Cove, Aberdeen
Fiscal depute David Rogers told the court that family members arrived at the house in Cove at around 3.30pm on February 27 2022.
Laura Simmers was looking after Benji for her daughter, who wasn’t present at the party.
They entered the living room and began talking to other members of their extended family, where Benji was being petted by Laura Simmers.
The toddler arrived with her mum, dad and brother at about 4pm and soon after tea, cakes and sweets were served.
All the children, including the toddler, were eating cakes and dropping crumbs – with Benji eating everything that fell to the floor.
Staffy-cross dog pinned toddler to the ground while biting her face
The toddler was taken to the kitchen by one of the adults where they washed her face after eating the food.
“After [the child] had been cleaned up, she was down on the living room floor and she toddled away into the middle of the living room,” Mr Rogers said.
“Benji was sitting on the floor in front of the accused at this point with [the toddler] standing still in the middle of the living room facing him when he suddenly leapt at her and flattened her onto her back without warning.
“Benji pinned her to the ground with his front paws on her shoulders and he proceeded to bite her to the face whilst snarling.
“[The toddler] was seen kicking her legs out whilst screaming.”
The dog was hauled off the child and the child was lifted off the floor.
Toddler may require plastic surgery after dog attack
Dishtowels were soaked in cold water and applied to try to stem the bleeding from the numerous dog bites and the toddler was rushed to Royal Aberdeen Children’s Hospital, where she remained overnight.
She received surgery on her face the following day.
It was also necessary to stretch the skin from on the top and bottom of her left ear to help repair the damage to that ear.
Doctors have advised that although the girl’s scars have healed well they are still visible and that nothing further can be done while she is a child.
She may need to undergo plastic surgery as she grows up, the court was told.
Second attack less than two months later
Mr Rogers also described to the court a second attack involving Benji less than two months later.
Benji was at Sarah Simmers’ flat at around 2.36pm on April 23 2022 and a delivery driver – who lived in the same building – was going down the stairs when he encountered the Staffie.
The man saw the door to a ground-floor flat open without warning and Benji bounded out.
“A large brown Staffordshire Terrier dog escaped and lunged towards him, then bit him on his left hand causing it to bleed,” Mr Rogers said.
“The accused exited the flat and pulled the dog from the complainer.
“The complainer retreated back to his own flat to wash his wound when the accused’s partner knocked at his door apologising and stated that this was not the first time the dog had bitten someone and that the accused got the dog after the last incident to retrain it.”
The victim received two slight puncture marks to the knuckles of his left hand but required no medical treatment.
Appearing in the dock, Laura Simmers pleaded guilty to one charge of being in charge of a dog that was dangerously out of control and attacked a child, causing permanent disfigurement.
Sarah Simmer also admitted taking ownership of a dog that was dangerously out of control and biting the delivery man.
Ian Woodward-Nutt, solicitor for Laura Simmers, told the court that his client – who is a senior psychiatric nurse – accepted that she was “legally in charge” of Benji that day.
“What has happened can only be described as a horrific incident that has left this child with horrific injuries,” he said.
“It is fair to say that my client deeply regrets what took place.
“This amounts more to carelessness than recklessness – but they had severe consequences for this poor child.
“My client is deeply remorseful and accepts responsibility for what happened.”
Sarah Simmer’s solicitor, Michael Burnett, told the court that on the occasion where it bit the delivery man, Benji “ran out and she hadn’t a chance to do anything about it”.
“She was fully aware of what had happened and she should have been much more careful about letting the dog out,” he said.
Danger dog has vanished
Responding to an enquiry from Sheriff Lindsay Foulis about where Benji is today, Mr Burnett told the court his whereabouts are a mystery because Laura Simmers’ daughter – the owner of the dog – sold it to an “unknown” person “in a field”.
Sheriff Foulis told Laura Simmers that she was the one in charge of the dog when it attacked the toddler, causing “permanent disfigurement”.
“This dog had access to a family event and that set in motion the chain of consequences which had a tragic result,” he told her.
The sheriff made Laura Simmers, of Burnsbutt Crescent, Cove, subject to a community payback order and ordered her to carry out 150 hours of unpaid work.
She was banned from keeping dogs for a year.
Sarah Simmers, of Burnsbutt Crescent, Cove, was fined a total of £600 and ordered to pay £400 compensation.
She was also banned from keeping dogs for a year.
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