01 June 2023 , 11:49
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A dad admitted to being in charge of a husky that mauled his three-month-old daughter to death.
Vince King pleaded guilty to being in charge of an out-of-control Husky, named Blizzard, when it killed baby Kyra King in a woodland on March 6 last year.
King and his then partner Karen Alcock were at Ostler's Plantation, an area of woodland near Woodhall Spa, Lincolnshire, on the evening of the horrific incident, the court heard.
They had brought 19 huskies with them, and transported them in a van that had been modified to contain lockable cages.
The dogs were used for racing instead of being domestic pets and had been split into two teams to pull homemade sleds around the wooded area.
Girl, 4, mauled to death in dog attack pictured as neighbours hear mum's screams
King tried to hide his face as he arrived at Lincoln Crown Court (PA)After King and Alcock finished racing one group of dogs, they returned them to the van to change over to another team of dogs.
But during this, Blizzard leapt over the partition separating the cages from the van's front seats and escaped out the passenger door before he attacked Kyra, in her pram.
Prosecutor Jeremy Janes said "it is not possible to separate" King and Alcock's involvement, due to both being at the scene when the incident occurred.
He said: "No-one was in control of Blizzard because both were at the rear of the van getting the second sled team ready.
"By default, that would make Mr King liable in law as the owner of Blizzard."
King pleaded guilty at Lincoln Crown Court today (PA)
Alcock had already pleaded guilty to the same charges and now both will be sentenced in August (PA)He added: "There is absolutely nothing to prevent a dog from getting from one part to another and out of the van.
"In other words, absolutely no preventative measures."
Despite the best efforts of emergency services, who scrambled to the area, Kyra died at the scene.
An inquest later found she died from head and neck injuries.
The 55-year-old had been due to stand trial at Lincoln Crown Court today when he pleaded guilty prior to the start of proceedings after discussions with his barrister Siward James-Moore.
Dog shot dead by police after mauling girl, 4, to death in horror attack
Mr Janes added: "This was a lovely child that was tragically lost, but the law rightly considers the death of any child, even if it's your own, to be extremely serious.
"There is a premium, for good reason, on those who choose to have these dogs to get it right."
Alcock, 41, had pleaded guilty to the same charge on December 23 last year and was not present at Thursday's hearing.
Adjourning proceedings, Judge Sjolin Knight told King: "There isn't now going to be a trial but what follows will need to be a sentence for both you and Ms Alcock.
"It's important that when I come to sentence you that I know as much as possible about both of you, the run-up to what happened and how you both reacted to it."
Lincolnshire Police had previously said that Blizzard had been kept in isolation at secure kennels since the incident and the force was seeking an order for her to be put down.
King, of Castle Dyke Bank, New York, Lincolnshire, was given unconditional bail and will be sentenced on August 14 at the same court.
Alcock, of the same address, will be sentenced on the same date.