Birmingham XL bully owner gets suspended sentence after girl injured

A man who admitted being the owner of an XL bully dog that injured an 11-year-old girl in Birmingham has been given a two-year suspended sentence.

Farhat Ajaz, of Bordesley Close, pleaded guilty at an earlier hearing at Birmingham Crown Court to three counts of owning a dog which caused injury while dangerously out of control.

The girl suffered shoulder and arm injuries in September 2023, during an attack by the dog, named Tyson.

Two other men were also injured as they tried to intervene after the dog twice broke free from its collar.

It was one of a spate of XL bully attacks before the government announced plans to ban the breed.

Before Friday's sentencing, the BBC had reported how the girl had been visiting shops with her older sister when she was attacked.

She started to run but the dog grabbed her hand. After the animal was grabbed and let go of her arm, it went for her shoulder and bit her.

Another 20-year-old man was chased across a garage forecourt before the dog attacked him.

The man was taken to hospital with bite wounds to his forearm and cuts and bruises from being dragged across the ground.

A second man who was injured by the dog also went to hospital for treatment.

A witness, who stepped in to help, told the BBC how he attempted to free the girl from the dog's grasp, eventually succeeding.