Man claimed eight-stone dog was a poodle after it killed his brother in ‘frenzied’ attack

A dog owner claimed that his eight-stone mastiff was a poodle after it mauled his younger brother to death.

Gary Stevens gave incorrect information to emergency call operators about the animal, which was really a cane corso, an Italian mastiff bred as a guard dog, when it attacked his sibling, Wayne.

Police and paramedics were confronted by the "incredibly heavy" dog when they arrived at the house, Derby Crown Court was told.

Shaun Smith KC, the judge who jailed Stevens for four-and-a-half years, heard the dog was abusive to emergency services before the "frenzied" animal was repeatedly tasered and eventually shot almost an hour later.

Stevens knew the 14-month-old dog was aggressive and "would normally go for the face and neck", the court heard.

The defendant, 55, sat with his head bowed in the dock as prosecutors outlined how his brother was found dead at their home in Cameron Road, Normanton, Derby, after a 999 call at 5.52am on April 22, 2023.

The judge said: "Paramedics and police officers attended the scene and you came to the front door clearly very drunk.

"You were obstructive as your exchanges with the officers continued.

"Police officers tried to persuade you to bring the dog under control – your response was to mock them for standing back."

The judge added: "I am entirely satisfied that you clearly knew of the dangers this dog presented prior to that fateful night.

"There was a lack or loss of control of the dog due to the influence of alcohol."

During his sentencing remarks, the judge accepted that witnessing the death of his brother and being unable to save him was likely to have impacted the Stevens' mental health.

The court was told the victim, aged 51, had been drinking vodka with his brother after returning from the pub and died at the foot of a stairway after suffering "multiple, massive and horrific" injuries.

Stevens, of Vicarage Road, Mickleover, Derby, pleaded guilty in September 2023 to being in charge of a dog dangerously out of control, which caused injury resulting in the death.

As part of his sentence, Stevens was also given a lifetime ban from keeping a dog.

The court heard that the cane corso was a "blend with some sort of bull terrier" – not an XL bully – and was given to Stevens by a mother-of-five who had "too much going on" to look after it.