David Ellam died from the injuries sustained in the attack (Picture: SWNS)

A dog attacked and killed a man just a week after police ruled it was not a dangerous breed, a court heard.

David Ellam died after being attacked by a mongrel bull terrier outside his flat in Huddersfield, West Yorkshire, jurors at Leeds Crown Court were told.

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Neighbours described hearing the 52-year-old desperately screaming for help, while one said she saw the dog, Alex, dragging Mr Ellam.

Prosecutor Richard Walters said Alex had a history of attacking people.


In 2012, a court granted a dog control order against her owner, Aaron Joseph, who lived in a flat above Mr Ellam, but Joseph ignored the conditions, Mr Walters said.

Aaron Joseph denies the charges against him (Picture: SWNS)

Two months before his death, Mr Ellam raised concerns that Alex may be a banned breed and police took the animal away.



But it was handed back to Joseph a week before the fatal attack in August 2016, the court was told.

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Joseph, 30, denies being the owner of a dog which caused death while it was dangerously out of control.

The court heard Alex escaped from her kennel in the communal garden of the flats and attacked Mr Ellam before turning on his dog Rollo.

Mr Walters said: ‘Just after 9.30am, neighbours heard Mr Ellam shouting ‘Help me, please somebody help me’.

Mr Ellam was about to take his dog Rollo for a walk (Picture: SWNS)

‘Mr Ellam was by his door and Alex was seen to have hold of him by the arm. She was panting and scraping her paws on the ground.

‘Alex at some stage then bit Mr Ellam’s leg. His cries for help were becoming more desperate and people could see there was a lot of blood around.’

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‘Alex was growling and snarling and Mr Ellam was heard to say he couldn’t take much more. Ominously, his cries became fewer and further apart.

‘Mr Ellam was seen to be unconscious and it was noted that the dog was dragging him.’

Neighbours tried to intervene and one even fetched a knife to stab the animal, but the five-year-old female dog only released Mr Ellam when a police officer sprayed a fire extinguisher at its face.

Rollo was also set upon by Alex (Picture: SWNS)

Mr Ellam died from his injuries in hospital later that day.

In a statement, neighbour Naomi Russell, who witnessed the attack and called the police, described seeing the dog shaking its head from side to side ‘as if it was trying to sever the leg’.

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Giving evidence, Mr Ellam’s partner Claire Josling said he was a ‘dog lover’.

Asked about the police bringing Alex back to the flats in August, she said: ‘He was very angry about the dog being returned.’

The trial continues.