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The owners of a pitbull-type dog which horrifically mauled and scalped a toddler in a play park are facing up to five years behind bars.

Hayley Eldridge and Michael Thornton had paid a 15-year-old girl with cannabis to walk their pet on the day it savagely attacked an 18-month-old child.

The couple had only had the animal, called Max, for six days and later told police they thought it was a Staffordshire bull terrier crossbreed.

The dog mauled the child as she played with her 14-year-old sister in Jenkins Dale, Chatham, on April 4 last year.

It dragged the little girl around the playground by a ponytail before ripping it out.

The dog then clamped its jaws on a second ponytail and bit the child's head.

Her injuries were so severe that she faces years of surgery. Her scalp could not be re-attached and her skull has been left exposed until she is old enough for a skin graft.

Dog struck in the face

Maidstone Crown Court in Kent heard today (August 13) that shortly before the attack, the dog had been repeatedly struck in its face with a chain by the teenager.

Eldridge, 29, of Gorse Avenue, Chatham, and Thornton, 27, of Ryde Close, Chatham, were due to stand trial accused of being the owners of a dog which caused injury while dangerously out of control in a public place.

The maximum sentence is five years' imprisonment.

But they pleaded guilty before a jury was sworn in.

At an earlier hearing at the same court, mum of three Eldridge also admitted perjury in relation to her lying during family court proceedings that she was not being prosecuted for the dangerous dog offence.

Judge David Griffith-Jones QC adjourned sentencing for probation reports but warned they faced immediate custody.

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Shortly before pleading guilty, he remarked that the issue in the case was whether the defendants believed the teenager, who cannot be named for legal reasons, was 'a fit and able person' to be in charge of the dog.

"She was using cannabis and it was entrusted with her to take the dog out in a public place without a muzzle," he added.

But after both pleaded guilty, Judge Griffith-Jones said: "I am glad that common sense has finally prevailed."

He released them on bail with the condition they be subject to a tagged curfew until the week commencing September 24.

But he warned they should not 'draw any conclusions' as to what the sentence would be.

"I will pass the sentence I feel is appropriate in light of all the information that will be put before me," added Judge Griffith-Jones.

The teenager who walked the dog pleaded guilty at an earlier hearing in the youth court in October last year.

Now 16, she was handed a 12-month supervision order and ordered to carry out 150 hours' unpaid work.

'The attack changed my family's life forever'

The court on that occasion heard a victim impact statement from the child's father, in which he spoke of how the incident had 'changed my family's life forever'.

He said: "I'm angry, I'm very angry. My little girl does not deserve what has happened to her.

"I do not understand how and why this happened to my little girl. I do not understand how the owners have let this happen, how did they let this happen to my little girl?

"This incident has changed my family's life forever."

The dad added: "We have years of hospital visits when we should be taking our daughter to children's parties."

He added he just wanted to "forget" the horrible incident but it was just not possible.

He said both him and his wife have been off work due to stress.

Dog shot by police

Five-year-old Max had to be shot by police marksmen at the scene. Tests later revealed it to be a banned breed under the Dangerous Dog Act.

The court heard Eldridge, who cried during the proceedings, had been the victim of domestic violence.

Nicholas Jones, defending, said she suffered from depression and had had to move home after the attack.

She has previous convictions for shoplifting and was currently subject to a community order for dangerous driving.

John Fitzgerald, defending Thornton, told the court he had a lengthy record, mostly offences of dishonesty related to his cannabis addiction.

He is currently subject to supervision by the probation service, having been released from prison on June 14 this year.

His mother sat crying in the public gallery.

Last year's youth court hearing heard the teen had walked the dog twice before.

On this occasion she was paid with cannabis.

The court heard the teenager took Max to the park to meet her friends.

A sign on the playground said dogs were not allowed to enter the play area.

The dog then ran free and attacked the child as other youngsters, including her sister, tried to fight it off.

The little girl was airlifted to St George’s Hospital’s neurology unit in London for treatment.