A man has been jailed for owning an XL bully which attacked a 12-year-old girl. Justin Allison, 38, was sentenced to a total of three years for several charges including owning a banned breed of dog and being in charge of a dog that was dangerously out of control. The Newport Crown Court was presented with graphic images of the 12-year-old's extensive injuries, and she asked her mother to "say a prayer" as they rushed to the hospital after the attack in Nantyglo, Blaenau Gwent in October 2024.

Judge Daniel Williams stated that Allison had prioritized his "status and putting swagger in your step, above the safety of anyone else". During the proceedings, the court heard that the dog, named Rocco, had been owned by Allison for three years and weighed between 45kg and 50kg. It was put down after the attack.

CCTV footage of the incident showed the girl's screams, and she later expressed feeling "terrified" as the dog ran towards her. Allison, who was described as being "not very bothered" during the incident, admitted that he had no license for the dog and registered it with the local vet as "Rocco the Dude". He explained that the dog had escaped because he failed to adequately secure it.

The girl’s impact statement revealed that she has been housebound for six weeks, missed school, and felt scared of stray dogs. She remarked, "I still remember the incident and how scared and upset I was." Judge Williams remarked, "Because you put enhancing your status above the safety of anyone else, you demonstrated a reckless disregard for the safety of others." He further stated that the dog was a powerful animal allowed on a rampage due to Allison's negligence. The sentencing included two years and eight months for owning the banned dog, a four-month concurrent sentence for the dog being out of control, and an additional four months for possessing a knife, totaling three years in jail. Allison will serve half of the sentence in jail and is prohibited from keeping dogs for ten years.