Couple sentenced under Dangerous Dogs Act following toddler’s death on rural property.
A mother and father have been jailed after their three-year-old son, Daniel Twigg, was killed by a dog in Rochdale in 2022.
Joanne Bedford, 38, and Mark Twigg, 43, of Highview Walk, Blackley, were sentenced at Manchester Minshull Street Crown Court on Friday 10 October 2025.
The pair were found guilty earlier this year under the Dangerous Dogs Act 1991 for being in charge of a dog dangerously out of control causing injury. They had been cleared of manslaughter charges.
The fatal attack took place on 15 May 2022, when Daniel was mauled by a Cane Corso, named Sid, at Carr Farm on Tunshill Lane, where the family had moved just two months earlier.
Emergency services were called at around 1:10pm, but despite efforts from paramedics and trauma specialists at Manchester Children’s Hospital, Daniel died later that day from multiple head and neck injuries.
It later emerged that the toddler had entered a pen where Sid and another dog were being kept. The animals were reportedly housed in poor conditions and not properly secured or supervised.
The court heard the family kept 11 dogs on the property. GMP’s Tactical Aid Unit and Dog Unit were called to the scene and removed the animals. Sid, who was found to be extremely agitated, was humanely destroyed by a firearms officer.
In sentencing, Mr Justice Kerr told the couple: “No sentence in a case such as this can undo the damage done, nor assuage the grief of the bereaved. You have both lost your beloved son. The wrongdoing that led to Daniel’s death must be punished, and it is my mournful duty to see it done.”
Bedford was sentenced to three years and six months in prison and disqualified from owning dogs for 15 years. Twigg received two years and eight months, also with a 15-year disqualification.
Detective Sergeant Mark Evans from GMP’s Major Incident Team described the incident as “deeply tragic and traumatic”. He said: “Daniel was a bright, curious little boy who had grown up around dogs, but as a toddler, he couldn’t understand the risks they could pose.”
Stephen Greenough, a Dog Legislation Officer with GMP, said the dogs were “unpredictable, powerful, and not properly trained or controlled”. He added: “Dogs should never be left unattended with children, particularly those under sixteen. Daniel was exposed to a situation no child should ever face.”
Police have urged the public to report concerns about dangerous dogs before tragedy strikes. Reports can be made by calling 101, using GMP’s online tools, or anonymously via Crimestoppers.
Daniel’s family have previously described him as a “happy, kind and caring little boy who was loved by all who knew him”.
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