South London Man Pleads Guilty After Brutal XL Bully Dog Attack in Brighton
A South London man has pleaded guilty after a brutal XL Bully dog attack in Brighton left a small dog dead and its owner injured. Dean Bryce, 52, of Penge Road, South Norwood, admitted to being in charge of two dangerously out-of-control dogs that caused the horrific incident.
Terrifying Attack in Patcham
The attack happened on April 13, 2023, in Mackie Avenue, Patcham. A woman walking her small poodle-type dog was suddenly set upon by two XL Bullies that escaped from an alleyway. Witnesses described the savage assault as “brutal and sustained.”
“It immediately grabbed her dog and shook it. She desperately tried to get it off… After a minute, which felt like forever, a man came out and tried to remove the dog. It was horrendous — there was blood everywhere. Then another, larger dog appeared and also attacked. He couldn’t remove it. The small dog looked like a rag on the floor, not a dog anymore.”
Despite efforts to stop the attack, the small dog was killed, and the woman suffered hand injuries while trying to intervene.
Police Called but Dogs Had Fled
Police arrived to find the dogs and their handler gone, but witnesses stayed to give statements. The woman’s injuries were confirmed as non-life-threatening, though the emotional trauma was severe.
Sentencing and Public Outcry
Bryce appeared at Brighton Magistrates’ Court on May 13 and is due for sentencing on May 30, once a pre-sentence report is prepared. The court will decide the seriousness of the offence and what will happen to the dogs, including possible destruction.
This case has sparked fresh public concern over the ownership and control of XL Bully-type dogs, especially amid recent UK legislation tightening restrictions on dangerous breeds.
