A grieving mother broke down in court as she described the horrifying moment her 3-year-old son was fatally mauled by a dog in their backyard in Rochdale, England.
Jessica Bedford and Mark Twigg are currently on trial for gross negligence manslaughter in the 2022 death of their son, Daniel Twigg. Both parents have pleaded not guilty.
According to Greater Manchester Police, Daniel died in May 2022 after being attacked by what was described as a “dangerous dog” at the family’s rural home.
While testifying in her defense, Bedford recounted the morning of the tragedy, explaining that she had briefly left Daniel in the kitchen with his older sister while going upstairs to retrieve his shorts — stopping first in the bathroom.
“I don’t know how long I was in there,” she told the court, per the Manchester Evening News. “Then I heard his sister screaming, ‘Mum, Mum, Daniel’s in the [dog] pen. He is face down and he’s got blood everywhere.’”
Bedford broke into tears as she described rushing outside, moving the dogs aside, and finding Daniel motionless on the ground.
“I sat down on the floor with Daniel and asked his sister to get my phone so I could call for an ambulance,” she said. “Daniel was face down on the floor. He had puncture wounds all over his neck and he was bleeding. I was petrified and scared for my little boy.”
The BBC previously reported that emergency responders had to use riot shields to safely reach Daniel because of the aggressive dogs on the property.
Court records show the family had only recently moved into the farmhouse in March 2022 to help look after the dogs and land while the property’s owner was away.
Daniel’s death shocked the community and raised serious concerns about the family’s living conditions and the number of dogs kept on-site. Authorities have not specified the breed of the dog responsible, but described it as dangerous.
The trial is ongoing.
