A man and a woman have been jailed following a dog attack in Co Wexford which left a nine-year-old boy with serious facial injuries.
The incident happened on 27 November 2022 at the Forgelands estate in Enniscorthy.
Alejandro Mizsan, who is now aged 11, was attacked by an XL Bully dog while playing on a green with friends.
Karen Miller, 38, with an address formerly of Forgelands in Enniscorthy pleaded guilty at Wexford Circuit Court to two charges of endangerment in relation to the attack and a separate attack on another child four days earlier, on 23 November 2022.
She also pleaded guilty to one count of obstruction, by failing to inform gardaí where the dog was while it was being put down.
Niall Byrne, 29, also with an address formerly of Forgelands in Enniscorthy, pleaded guilty to the inhumane destruction of an animal.
He also pleaded guilty to two counts of threatening to kill or cause serious harm.
Judge James McCourt sentenced Karen Miller to three years in prison for each of the endangerment counts, with the final 12 months of each sentence suspended.
He said he took the obstruction charge into consideration.
The judge handed down a sentence to Niall Byrne of three years for each of the threats to kill or cause serious harm and 20 months for the inhumane killing of the dog.
Mr Byrne, who has been in custody since November 2022, was given a credit of 12 months for time already served.
It means Karen Miller and Niall Byrne will each serve two years in jail.
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'Dog got loose from a lead'
The court was told the dog got loose from a lead after spotting another dog when he was brought outside by Karen Miller "to do his business."
CCTV footage showed the dog running to an area where four children, including Alejandro Mizsan, were playing in a communal green area in the estate.
Sergeant Sylvia Byrne from Enniscorthy Garda Station told the court the dog was an XL bully, which is a restricted breed.
The dog was not microchipped and not registered and Ms Miller did not have a dog licence, she said.
Sgt Byrne said both Karen Miller and Niall Byrne owned the dog but she said it was correct to say Ms Miller had more responsibility for the animal.
There was also a pit bull pup and a lurcher dog were in their house.
The court was told that eyewitnesses were "looking on in horror" as the XL bully attacked the young boy and was "effectively mauling Alejandro in the face."
One neighbour was hitting the dog with a baseball bat trying to stop the attack and to try to free the child.
Following the attack, which happened at around 4pm, Alejandro was airlifted to Children's Health Ireland Crumlin in Dublin with what was described as "catastrophic injuries" to his face.
Medical evidence from doctors was read out by prosecution barrister Sinead Gleeson.
The court heard Alejandro Mizsan suffered "devastating" and "life changing" injuries to his face during the attack.
He will have "life-long scaring" and he will require multiple further surgeries.
He suffered a complete tearing of his cheeks on both sides, almost from ear to ear, and he lost a substantial portion of his lower lip.
The boy also sustained puncture wounds to his thighs, the court was told.
In a victim impact statement read on their behalf, Alejandro Mizsan’s family said he is not the same kid as he was before the attack.
They said he doesn’t sleep alone and he does not want to be alone.
Alejandro’s family, who are originally from Romania, said he has "pain in his heart" and he doesn’t want to go to school or play with his friends because of the way he looks.
The court heard the 11-year-old was in a "deep depression" after the massive trauma he has been through and he is "afraid he will be pushed and bullied because of his looks."
Alejandro and all members of his family are in "a very shocked trauma."
'A lot of tensions'
The court was told that during her interview with gardaí, Ms Miller showed remorse and she said "lock me up and throw away the key".
The court heard there had been "a lot of tensions" in the estate and Sgt Ryan said Ms Miller was evicted from her property.
In passing sentence, Judge McCourt said he was taking into account mitigating factors including their guilty pleas, their co-operation with gardaí and their apologies.
He said he accepted Ms Miller's claim that she had become "a pariah" and is subjected to public odium.
However, the judge said "you didn't heed the first warning" after the first incident involving the dog with another boy four days earlier.
He also told Mr Byrne that he had no doubt the two people he made threats against "felt genuinely threatened by your behaviour".
And he described the manner in which the dog was destroyed as an aggravating factor.
Judge McCourt said "there has to be an element of deterrence" in the sentences imposed, because he said "people can’t be running around with unlicenced pit bulls".
He expressed his sympathies to Alejandro and his family.
"You had a beautiful child and you still have a beautiful child," he said.
"You have my sympathies, and blessing and good wishes."
The court was also told that a GoFundMe account, set up to raise money for the family, has generated over €100,000.
