The grieving family of an 84-year-old man killed by an XL bully have condemned his owner’s complete absence of remorse after a judge handed down a 12-year prison sentence for the fatal attack that robbed their loved one of a dignified death.
John McColl’s relatives told Liverpool Crown Court that Sean Garner, 31, had displayed no empathy throughout proceedings following the February 2024 mauling in Warrington, Cheshire, which left the pensioner so severely injured he died from his wounds a month later.
“It’s heartbreaking, because he didn’t get to die a dignified death, like any other 84-year-old that would pass away,” Kelly Percival, Mr McColl’s granddaughter, told Sky News. “He has shown no remorse in court.”
Her mother Joanne Percival added: “He has no empathy, not even an apology, he’s only felt sorry for himself.”
Garner was convicted following trial of owning a dog which caused injury whilst dangerously out of control, a charge he had denied despite previously admitting possessing two banned XL bullies—male dog Toretto and female Malibu—without the required exemption certificates.
The court heard Toretto attacked Mr McColl after he wandered onto Garner’s driveway at a property on Bardsley Avenue on 24 February last year. Prosecutors described how the animal “savaged” the elderly victim and “guarded him as if he were its prey.”
Armed officers responding to emergency calls were forced to shoot the aggressive dog 10 times before it was neutralised. Police subsequently shot Malibu when they discovered her inside Garner’s residence.
Prosecutor David Birrell characterised the defendant as a “selfish, reckless risk-taker” who told “bare-faced lies” during the trial, particularly when claiming Mr McColl had released Toretto from a padlocked shed—an assertion the prosecution dismissed as “ludicrous” and “absurd.”
Evidence revealed Garner had left the dangerous animal on a patio area secured only by a gate with a simple latch, contradicting his claims of having taken adequate precautions. The defendant admitted under questioning that he had failed to walk either dog for approximately 10 days preceding the attack, though he maintained they received exercise in the outdoor patio space.
Mr McColl’s daughter suggested responsible XL bully ownership exists across Britain, contrasting proper care with Garner’s neglect. “He did not look after that dog, and that dog was put outside. That dog escaped. Sean Garner knows the truth and he will live with that for the rest of his life,” she stated.
