London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Sunday, Jul 13, 2025

Havant woman jailed over 'terrifying' dog attack on toddler

Havant woman jailed over 'terrifying' dog attack on toddler

A woman whose dog seriously injured a toddler during a "terrifying" attack has been jailed for 10 months.

Lisa Garner, 45, was walking her doberman in Havant, Hampshire, when it mauled a three-year-old girl on 8 August, leaving her with wounds that required surgery and permanent scars.

Garner admitted being in charge of a dangerously out of control dog.

During a hearing at Portsmouth Crown Court, she was also disqualified from owning dogs for 10 years.

The court was told the little girl was walking on the pavement with her grandmother on Botley Drive when the "terrifying and traumatic" attack happened.

Garner accepted that the child in no way provoked the dog, which it took several members of the public to overpower before it would loosen its grip, the court heard.

The court was told Garner had previously joked about how the dog, called El Chapo, attacked a cat and that locals had expressed concerns about its behaviour on social media groups.

The court heard she acquired the ex-guard dog from a rescue centre and had owned it for about six months.

Garner told officers sent to question her after the attack that despite "looking evil" the dog was in fact "just a big doughnut".

The dog was later euthanised.


'Nothing but shame'


A statement from the girl's mother read in court said her daughter still "screams in her sleep" due to flashbacks, and her scars were a "very visible daily reminder of that awful attack".

"I don't know if my little girl will ever get over this fear and the trauma that she suffered on that day," she added.

In mitigation, the court heard Garner's daughter had died 10 years earlier, that she had found comfort in looking after dogs and felt "nothing but shame and regret for what happened".

The court heard she had previous convictions for public disorder, driving after taking drugs, driving without due care, and failing to report an accident.

Passing sentence, judge William Ashworth told Garner: "There was clear evidence that this dog posed a risk that a responsible owner would have realised.

"It may well be that your caring and slightly vulnerable nature caused you to overlook this but if you have a very large and powerful ex-guard dog then you have to take reasonable steps to protect other people."

Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
Renault Shares Drop as CEO Luca de Meo Announces Departure Amid Reports of Move to Kering
Senior Aides for King Charles and Prince Harry Hold Secret Peace Summit
Anti‑Semitism ‘Normalised’ in Middle‑Class Britain, Says Commission Co‑Chair
King Charles Meets David Beckham at Chelsea Flower Show
If the Department is Really About Justice: Ghislaine Maxwell Should Be Freed Now
NYC Candidate Zohran Mamdani’s ‘Antifada’ Remarks Spark National Debate on Political Language and Economic Policy
President Trump Visits Flood-Ravaged Texas, Praises Community Strength and First Responders
From Mystery to Meltdown, Crisis Within the Trump Administration: Epstein Files Ignite A Deepening Rift at the Highest Levels of Government Reveals Chaos, Leaks, and Growing MAGA Backlash
Trump Slams Putin Over War Death Toll, Teases Major Russia Announcement
Reparations argument crushed
Rainmaker CEO Says Cloud Seeding Paused Before Deadly Texas Floods
A 92-year-old woman, who felt she doesn't belong in a nursing home, escaped the death-camp by climbing a gate nearly 8 ft tall
French Journalist Acquitted in Controversial Case Involving Brigitte Macron
Elon Musk’s xAI Targets $200 Billion Valuation in New Fundraising Round
Kraft Heinz Considers Splitting Off Grocery Division Amid Strategic Review
Trump Proposes Supplying Arms to Ukraine Through NATO Allies
EU Proposes New Tax on Large Companies to Boost Budget
Trump Imposes 35% Tariffs on Canadian Imports Amid Trade Tensions
Junior Doctors in the UK Prepare for Five-Day Strike Over Pay Disputes
US Opens First Rare Earth Mine in Over 70 Years in Wyoming
Kurdistan Workers Party Takes Symbolic Step Towards Peace in Northern Iraq
Bitcoin Reaches New Milestone of $116,000
Biden’s Doctor Pleads the Fifth to Avoid Self-Incrimination on President’s Medical Fitness
Grok Chatbot Faces International Backlash for Antisemitic Content
Severe Heatwave Claims 2,300 Lives Across Europe
NVIDIA Achieves Historic Milestone as First Company Valued at $4 Trillion
Declining Beer Consumption Signals Cultural Shift in Germany
Linda Yaccarino Steps Down as CEO of X After Two Years
US Imposes New Tariffs on Brazilian Exports Amid Political Tensions
Azerbaijan and Armenia are on the brink of a historic peace deal.
Emails Leaked: How Passenger Luggage Became a Side Income for Airport Workers
Polish MEP: “Dear Leftists - China is laughing at you, Russia is laughing, India is laughing”
BRICS Expands Membership with Indonesia and Ten New Partner Countries
Weinstein Victim’s Lawyer Says MeToo Movement Still Strong
U.S. Enacts Sweeping Tax and Spending Legislation Amid Trade Policy Shifts
Football Mourns as Diogo Jota and Brother André Silva Laid to Rest in Portugal
Labour Expected to Withdraw Support for Special Needs Funding Model
Leaked Audio Reveals Tory Aide Defending DEI Record
Elon Musk Founds a Party Following a Poll on X: "You Wanted It – You Got It!"
London Stock Exchange Faces Historic Low in Initial Public Offerings
A new online platform has emerged in the United Kingdom, specifically targeting Muslim men seeking virgin brides
Trump Celebrates Independence Day with B-2 Flyover and Signs Controversial Legislation
Boris Johnson Urges Conservatives to Ignore Farage
SNP Ordered to Update Single-Sex Space Guidance Within Days
Starmer Set to Reject Calls for Wealth Taxes
Stolen Century-Old Rolls-Royce Recovered After Hotel Theft
Macron Presses Starmer to Recognise Palestinian State
Labour Delayed Palestine Action Ban Over Riot Concerns
Swinney’s Tax Comments ‘Offensive to Scots’, Say Tories
High Street Retailers to Enforce Bans on Serial Shoplifters
×