Girl, 10, killed when family’s XL Bully attacked her at home died of ‘neck injuries’

A 10-year-old Yorkshire miss who was attacked by her family’s favored XL bully died from her cervix injuries, an inquest has heard.

Savannah Bentham was attacked by the canine successful a static caravan she lived in, adjacent the colony of East Heslerton, North Yorkshire, connected November 1.

A neighbour from the caravan tract rushed wrong to assistance the miss portion a comparative locked the canine wrong a car earlier it was seized and taken to a kennel.

The schoolgirl, described arsenic ‘beautiful and intelligent’, was declared dormant connected the scene.

A proceeding successful Northallerton heard contiguous that a provisional origin of decease has been determined arsenic cervix injuries from the dog.

Assistant coroner Alison Norton said: ‘Savannah Bentham, connected November 1 2024, was attacked by a canine astatine her location code and sustained fatal injuries.’

The coroner opened the inquest, which lasted astir 3 minutes, earlier adjourning it to a further date.

An probe is ongoing into the attack, with 1 enactment of enquiry focusing connected the dog’s behaviour to find retired wherefore it attacked.

Police said astatine the clip that each indications suggested it was retired of character, and that the miss and the favored had a adjacent and loving relationship.

The unit said the canine was identified arsenic an XL bully and was enactment down by a vet.

A spokesperson said the canine had been with the household for 4 years and had a Certificate of Exemption nether caller legislation. It had besides been neutered.

In a connection issued by North Yorkshire Police aft the incident, the household said: ‘We are utterly shocked and devastated by what happened to Savannah. We can’t judge we person mislaid our fantastic miss who we emotion truthful much.’

Savannah, an lone child, had moved to the colony with her household during the summer, locals told MailOnline.

One section farmer, who asked not to beryllium named, antecedently said the ‘really polite’ miss ‘was a beauteous small lass who you would spot riding her motorcycle around’.

He said: ‘The parent ran retired from the static caravan screaming “my baby’s dead”. Some radical from the caravan tract went implicit to help. She was evidently truly distraught.

‘The constabulary got present precise fast, determination were 2 helicopters, ambulances turned up and an equipped effect unit. Someone enactment the canine successful a car apparently.’

He added: ‘The canine is an XL bully. It has been certified and is good looked after. It’s a precise large dog.

‘I’ve seen it astir the pub a fewer times, it doesn’t fuss anyone oregon different dogs and is well-behaved.’

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