Blood-curdling screams as ‘possessed’ canine known as Menace went on terrifying rampage

Nurse Ellie Woods was having a duvet day when she heard blood-curdling screams and rushed to save a seven-year-old girl being mauled – but the animal then turned on her

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A nurse enjoying a “duvet day” whilst off sick heard “blood-curdling screams” moments before witnessing a “possessed” dog called Menace savagely maul a young girl.

The Staffordshire bull terrier launched a brutal attack on a seven-year-old who was playing in the street, after breaking free from Lee Johnston’s house whilst he was in the shower, leaving the child scarred and needing surgery.

The grandfather had previously taken charge of the animal from his son following its earlier attempt to attack another youngster. Desperate neighbours lobbed bricks at the “powerful” and “obviously dangerous” beast as they frantically tried to stop the horrific ordeal. But the Staffy then turned on a second victim – a “Good Samaritan” who had courageously rushed to help the little girl, reports the Liverpool Echo.

Liverpool Crown Court was told that Menace had belonged to Johnston’s son Rhys Halewood, but on May 29, 2025, the father had been left looking after the dog at the 55-year-old’s home on Dulas Green in Kirkby.

Just before 6pm that day, the girl, who cannot be named for legal reasons, was playing in the road with a pal when locals heard them shrieking and being pursued by the escaped pet. Prosecutor Andy Scott describedhow one woman managed to rescue the second child, pulling her to safety over a garden gate and hurling bricks at Menace as he began attacking the other youngster on the ground.

After finally releasing the girl, another neighbour, 22-year-old nurse Ellie Woods, rushed to help.

However, the dog then turned its aggression towards her and continued its attack until her father “bravely intervened” and restrained it. He was then aided by another bystander who used a crate to contain Menace, who was later put down.

The young girl was immediately taken to Alder Hey Children’s Hospital after suffering a series of horrific bites to her calf, thigh, feet and hands, several of which exposed tissue and bone. She subsequently underwent two surgeries.

In a statement read out in court on his behalf, the girl’s father said: “Prior to the attack, she was a very confident young girl, and she was happy to be around dogs. Since the incident, she is nervous of strange dogs and panics if we’re out and a dog comes near.

“The attack has changed her. She no longer plays out If she sees friends, it will be inside the house. As a family, we have to consider where we go on days out. If there are dogs, we know this will have an effect on her. Only time will tell what lasting effects it will have on her. As of now, she is still traumatised about the attack.”

Ms Woods was treated at Aintree Hospital for bites to her thigh, arm and stomach, which left her scarred. In her personal statement, she recounted: “The day the incident happened, I’d called in sick from work and had been having a duvet afternoon when we heard screams. I instantly went to the window due to the blood-curdling screams, the type that makes hairs stand on end.”

After witnessing the dog being restrained she added: “I thought I would be ok to help the young girl. It felt as quickly as it stopped pulling on the girl; it was already on me, trying to drag me down to the floor. I was in danger and fearful for my life. The dog was acting as if it were possessed.”

She said: “Seeing the scars on my body every day is a painful reminder of what happened, but knowing I only have these wounds because I dared to help a young girl. I only get to look at them every day because my dad and sister were brave enough to help. Had they not, I fear what would have happened to me.

“What happened that day is one of the most terrifying things that has happened in my life. Even though it was only a few minutes, it felt like hours.”

Johnston told police he had been “looking after the dog on behalf of his son”. He explained he had been “doing a favour” after being “asked to mind” the dog whilst off work due to illness, but “had to spend a lot of time in the shower due to a stomach disorder”.

He said it was during his shower that he left his back door open to give Menace access to his “secure garden”, adding: “I don’t know how the dog escaped. I’m speculating that high winds might have caused damage to the gate or fencing.”

Johnston continued to say that he “immediately rushed to the scene to prevent anything else from happening” when he realised the dog had got loose. In a subsequent interview, he expressed his distress over the incident, stating he “felt sick about it” and “felt distraught”, branding the events as “the worst possible thing that could have happened”.

The defendant also revealed that his son’s partner didn’t want Menace in their home, as she was “scared for their children and newborn,” leading him to be “begged to take the dog.”

Suzanne Payne, defending, told the court: “He had taken the dog to prevent injury to his son’s young family. He accepts that he did not take sufficient precautions to ensure other people’s safety. Mr Johnston is remorseful for what happened last year. He takes full responsibility for the injuries and trauma caused to [the girl], Ms Woods and their families.”

Johnston pleaded guilty to two counts of being in charge of a dangerously out-of-control dog causing injury, along with an additional charge of cannabis production, linked to three plants confiscated from his home after the incident. The charges were ordered to lie on file.

He received a 27-month prison sentence.

A woman gasped as he was taken into custody, then left the courtroom in tears. In his sentencing remarks, Judge Stuart Driver KC said: “The background is important here. You knew that this dog, named Menace, was a powerful animal that was obviously dangerous, in particular to children, because you knew that your son’s partner was so concerned for the safety of their children that she gave him an ultimatum to get it out of the house.”

He continued: “Your impression was that your son did not trust the dog near anybody, and, while you were holding a child in your arms, you actually saw the dog try to attack that child. You failed to respond to warnings or concerns expressed by others about the dog’s behaviour, and there was a lack of safety or control measures when an incident could have reasonably been foreseen.

Judge Driver added: “You left the dog loose in the garden outside while you were inside, unaware of what it was doing. The photographs show horrible injuries to a little girl of seven years of age. She has had two operations and faces further laser treatment to reduce the scarring.

“The adult victim was a Good Samaritan, a brave woman who came to the rescue of the child. Her physical injuries have left scarring, but her trauma has led to her having counselling, and the events continue to have a substantial ongoing impact on her life. The horrible incident also is having a significant ongoing effect on a number of witnesses, including people who bravely became involved in the shocking scene.”