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| Grandmother 'let in' killer dog | |
| (20 minutes later) | |
| A dog that mauled a five-year-old to death was let into the house by the girl's grandmother, even though she knew it was dangerous, a court heard. | A dog that mauled a five-year-old to death was let into the house by the girl's grandmother, even though she knew it was dangerous, a court heard. |
| Ellie Lawrenson was attacked by the pit-bull terrier-type at Jackie Simpson's home on New Year's Day. | Ellie Lawrenson was attacked by the pit-bull terrier-type at Jackie Simpson's home on New Year's Day. |
| The 46-year-old, who had taken drugs and alcohol on the day, went against a family agreement not to allow the dog - Reuben - into the home in St Helens. | |
| Mrs Simpson denies manslaughter through gross negligence. | Mrs Simpson denies manslaughter through gross negligence. |
| The Crown Prosecution Service said she knew the dog was dangerous as she herself had witnessed it attacking two other people. | The Crown Prosecution Service said she knew the dog was dangerous as she herself had witnessed it attacking two other people. |
| Multiple injuries | |
| Ellie Lawrenson suffered more than 72 injuries when the dog locked its jaws around her throat and shook her around her grandmother's living room in Knowles House Avenue. | |
| Mrs Simpson, who witnessed the attack and was injured during it, was supposed to keep the dog outside, the prosecution alleged. | |
| Mrs Simpson denies manslaughter through gross negligence | |
| Neil Flewitt QC told Liverpool Crown Court her judgment may have been impaired by smoking cannabis and drinking alcohol. | |
| He said: "It was the view of the forensic scientist who carried out the analysis that 'the concurrent presence of these drugs has the potential to have affected her actions at the time of the incident'." | |
| However, the forensic scientist was unable to say to what extent she may have been affected. | |
| Ellie, who weighed 2st 9lbs (17kg) - half the weight of the dog - was dead at the scene when paramedics arrived in the early hours of New Year's Day. |