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The parents of a three-month-old girl who was mauled to death in her pram by their husky dog have been spared jail.
Kyra Leanne King suffered fatal injuries to her neck and head when she was savaged by a Siberian husky sled dog called Blizzard on March 6 last year.
Her parents Vince King, 55, and Karen Alcock, 41, had been exercising 19 dogs on a field when the horror unfolded in Woodhall Spa, Lincolnshire.
Lincoln Crown Court heard the animal jumped out of their unsecure van and fatally mauled Kyra after the family had been racing the dogs in Lincolnshire.
The dog, which will be put down, left Kyra with multiple head and neck injuries, and her parents performed CPR in an attempt to revive her.
Handing the pair suspended sentences on Monday, Judge Sjolin Knight said the incident resulted from a ‘tragic conjunction of circumstances’.
She said: ‘This is a tragic case, and I have no doubt that both of you wish every day you could wind the clock back so that incident never happened.
Karen Alcock, 41, (left) pleaded guilty to the charge of being the owner and/or in charge of a dog which was out of control causing injury resulting in death while Vince King (right), 55, denied the charge
‘There was nothing to trigger [Blizzard’s] attack on Kyra, but on this occasion she was dangerously out of control.
‘Dog ownership is a privilege and for many a pleasure, but it comes with a heavy burden under the Dangerous Dogs Act.
‘[Blizzard] did an awful thing which neither of you expected and will weigh heavily upon you for the rest of your lives.
‘I don’t believe that this incident was reasonably foreseeable but believe it was a momentary lapse of an otherwise good system.
‘It is appropriate to suspend both sentences.’
Alcock previously admitted being he owner and/or in charge of a dog which was out of control causing injury resulting in death.
King denied the same charge but changed his plea to guilty on the first day of his trial at Lincoln Crown Court.
Today Alcock was handed an eight month prison sentence, suspended for two years and was ordered to undertake 80 hours’ unpaid work.
King received 10 months’ imprisonment, suspended for two years, and 100 hours of unpaid work.
King received 10 months’ imprisonment, suspended for two years, and 100 hours of unpaid work
The dog escaped a van and went on to maul the three-month-old tot in a vicious and ‘tragic’ attack
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The court heard the couple had taken their daughter out with them to the woodland to exercise 19 Siberian huskie dogs which King raced competitively
King and Alcock, of New York, Lincs. first walked five of the dogs together as Kyra was pushed by her mum, before King took seven of the dogs on a sled run.
When he returned from the sled run, three of the dogs were placed in the centre of the van to drink and rest, and the side door was closed.
However, they were not shut into kennels, which the van was fitted with, and there was no guard separating the front of the cab from the rear of the vehicle
Kyra was next to the front passenger door of the van, which was open, when one of the huskies jumped into the cab and out the vehicle before savaging her.
Alcock and King attempted CPR on their daughter until paramedics arrived at around 11.13pm and despite the best efforts she could not be saved.
King and Alcock were arrested at the scene and charged following a lengthy investigation.
A destruction order was today granted at court for the dog.
Karen Alcock, 41, arrives at Lincoln Crown Court for a hearing following the death of three-month-old Kyra Leanne King
Vince King covers his face as he arrives at Lincoln Crown Court on Monday, August 14
Detective Constable Craig Davey, of Lincolnshire Police, said: ‘This has been an utterly tragic case, and today, our thoughts are with Kyra and the short life she lived, and the people who loved and lost Kyra.
‘Our investigation was to understand the circumstances which meant Blizzard was able to get close enough to Kyra to inflict such horrific injuries.
‘Sadly, we found that she had died from an attack which could have been prevented had safety measures been taken such as closing the dogs in kennels, or ensuring that they couldn’t get out of the van.
‘The dedication and determination of our officers to understand what happened at Ostler’s Plantation is to be commended.
‘This was an incredibly difficult case to be involved in, but we knew how important it was that we found out the truth about what had happened.
‘It is a stark reminder to all about the dangers of dogs and children.
‘What happened to that three-month-old baby girl is something that will haunt all of us involved in this investigation, and the wider public who have been so invested in justice for Kyra, as well as her parents, forever.
‘Today’s sentencing brings justice for Kyra, but I think I could speak for everyone when I say that the sadness at such a senseless loss will remain.’
