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Dog attack toddler inquest opens Toddler death dog to be examined
(about 1 hour later)
An inquest has opened into the death of a 13-month-old boy who was mauled by his grandparents' dog. Vets are to examine a rottweiler that mauled a 13-month-old boy to death in a bid to establish why it turned on the child, an inquest has heard.
Archie-Lee Hirst was killed on Friday by the family's pet rottweiler. The dog was shot dead by a police marksman. Archie-Lee Hirst was killed on Friday at his grandparents' home in Chald Lane, Wakefield, West Yorkshire. The dog was shot dead by a police marksman.
The boy had been spending Christmas at his grandparents' house in Chald Lane, Wakefield, West Yorkshire. The dog was used to children and the attack was completely unexpected, police told Wakefield Coroner's Court.
David Hinchliff, HM Coroner for the Eastern District of West Yorkshire, adjourned the inquest on Wednesday until a later date. Vets will test for any abnormality in the animal on Thursday.
At the weekend, police officers interviewed neighbours as investigations continued into the circumstances surrounding the tragedy. Adjourning Wednesday's inquest until a later date, coroner David Hinchliff said Archie-Lee's body could now be released to the family for a funeral.
'Sleeping angel' The child was formally identified by his mother Rebecca Hirst at Pinderfield Hospital on Friday night - two days before her 18th birthday.
At the time of the attack, Archie-Lee's 16-year-old aunt was at home baby-sitting her two younger sisters, aged six and seven, as well as him. We have got to establish that there is no abnormality in the dog which caused this tragic incident Det Supt Steve Payne, West Yorkshire Police
He was being carried to the back door by the seven-year-old when the dog snatched the child out of her arms. A post mortem examination carried out by Home Office pathologist Professor Christopher Milroy on Saturday revealed that he died from multiple injuries consistent with a dog attack.
His aunt failed to save him from the female rottweiler's jaws, despite hitting and kicking the dog. Police officers have been interviewing neighbours as investigations continue into the circumstances surrounding the tragedy.
The two-and-a-half-year-old rottweiler was later killed by police. The toddler was spending Christmas at the house in Wakefield when the dog launched the attack.
The toddler's mother, Rebecca Hirst, who turned 18 on Sunday, said her "sleeping angel" would always be in her heart and paid tribute to her 16-year-old sister Kara's efforts to fight off the dog. Archie-Lee was being carried to the back door by his seven-year-old aunt when the rottweiler snatched him out of her arms.
The boy's father, Damian Williamson, 20, who lives separately from Ms Hirst in the Wakefield area, also paid tribute to his son on his page on the social networking website Bebo. The boy's aunt tried to fight off the dog in the yard of the house
A neighbour of the couple who owned the dog said the attack was an accident "waiting to happen". He died later in hospital despite his 16-year-old aunt's attempt to save him from the dog's jaws.
Speaking at the inquest, Det Supt Steve Payne said: "We have got no reported incidents where this dog attacked someone previously.
"The dog was used to the family and had interacted with Archie before.
"Unfortunately for some reason the dog snatched Archie from the arms of the seven-year-old."
He said vets would try to establish why the animal acted so aggressively.
"We have got to establish that there is no abnormality in the dog which caused this tragic incident," Det Supt Payne said.