Girl, 9, had nose bitten off in dog attack that left mum afraid she was dead

Callum Campbell was found guilty of being in control of a dog which was dangerously out of control.

Girl, 9, had nose bitten off in dog attack that left mum afraid she was deadSNS Group

A schoolgirl had her nose bitten off in a dog attack that saw her pulled from a chair and dragged across the floor.

The nine-year-old was pounced on by the Staffordshire Bull Terrier called Boston owned by Callum Campbell on June 16, 2022.

Boston jumped on top of the girl, pulled her from a chair and dragged her across the living room floor of Campbell’s flat in Maryhill, Glasgow.

Her terrified mother believed the girl had died as she initially did not move when the attack was over.

The victim was later taken to hospital where skin was taken from her ear to create a “new nose” for her.

Campbell, 24, claimed that his dog was not responsible for the attack.

The girl was due to compete in a dance competition two days later but was instead kept in hospital for four nights to recover.

Campbell was found guilty at Glasgow Sheriff Court of being in control of a dog which was dangerously out of control.

The court heard from the girl’s 45-year-old mother who visited Campbell’s home to see his mum.

The witness said that atmosphere changed when Campbell entered the kitchen to get a drink.

She told the court that Campbell’s dog appeared at the door to the living room and stared at them.

The witness said: “The dog was like a statue and before I knew it he was on top of me and my wee girl.”

The woman claimed Campbell’s mum shouted: “Why did you let the dog out?”

He replied that he thought he shut the door.

Prosecutor Iain Mathieson asked the witness what the dog did when it reached her daughter.

She replied: “It jumped on me, I went to save my wee girl but the chair swung around.

“The dog was quite strong and got hold of my wee girl. I was trying to save her. It was growling .

“My wee girl got pulled to the floor from the chair right along the living room floor.

“The dog took my wee girl’s nose off.”

The woman said that she did not know what Campbell did to remove Boston from her daughter.

The witness claimed that the girl initially did not move when she was on the ground adding: “I was wondering if she was alive.”

She said her daughter hugged her and told her mum not to cry while in a “state of shock”.

The woman claimed that the girl then went on to be sick while Campbell phoned an ambulance.

She added: “He said that it wasn’t his dog that did it. I will never forgive him.”

The girl was taken straight to the operating theatre at the Queen Elizabeth University Hospital.

The mother said: “The operation was for a new nose for her. She lost the whole tip of her nose.

“They took skin from the back of her ear to make her new nose.”

The schoolgirl was given counselling to help with her fear of dogs and has been left with a scar on her nose.

Michael Tierney, defending, put it to the witness that she misheard his client make the remark that it was not his dog which she refuted.

Sheriff Mary Shields deferred sentence on Campbell until next month pending background reports and granted him bail meantime.

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