A husky racing couple whose three-month-old daughter was attacked and killed by one of their dogs during a training run has been spared jail after a judge described it as a case of “terrible circumstances on par.”
Baby Kyra King suffered fatal head and neck injuries when she was mauled in her stroller by a Siberian husky sled dog named Blizzard, which escaped from a van it was being transported.
Vince King, 55, and Karen Alcock, 41, who owned 19 huskies bred to compete in sleigh races, were training the dogs in the woods near their home in Lincolnshire at 11:30pm on March 6, 2022.
They were alternating sled teams when Blizzard escaped through the front passenger door that was left open and attacked the baby as she slept in her stroller.
Lincoln Crown Court heard that Blizzard had never caused any problems before and was not considered a danger to a child.
Alcock, a veterinary nurse, later suggested that the only reason she could think of to explain the attack was that the dog, being pregnant, had not fully eaten.
The court was told that King, who was the legal owner of the animals, competed nationally as a husky sled racer.
Prosecutor Jeremy Janes said that on the night of March 6, the couple took 19 of the dogs to a car park in Ostlers Plantation, a woodland near Woodhall Spa in Lincolnshire.
The huskies had to be trained sequentially in two teams of seven over a five-kilometer run, while the other five retired animals had to be walked by the couple in her pram with Kyra.
Mr Janes said the attack happened when King unhooked the first team of seven dogs from the back of the van and got the second team of seven dogs ready.
Alcock admitted that he placed Blizzard, the lead dog of the first team, in the middle of the van to drink some water, then closed the van’s sliding door, but left the passenger door open.
She then started helping King with the second team, but when she turned around, she saw Blizzard on top of Kyra and the stroller.
The court heard that Alcock went to Kyra to remove the dog and began CPR on the baby, who had suffered serious head and neck injuries.
King and Alcock were arrested and later charged with owning or leading a dog that got dangerously out of control.
Judge Catarina Sjolin Knight sentenced the couple, who have since split, saying Blizzard had previously not raised concerns and that she was not convinced the attack was “reasonably foreseeable”.
Instead, she said it was a case of “terrible circumstances that align,” adding: “This is a tragic case and I have no doubt that you both would wish every day that you could turn back the clock. could run.”
“She did something terrible that neither of you expected and that will weigh heavily on both of you for the rest of your lives,” the judge added.
“Kyra was particularly vulnerable when she was a baby. But you will feel that more than anyone since she was your baby.
The court heard that social services had visited the couple’s home twice and decided there were no issues with the arrangements at the property, describing it as “squeaky clean”.
Alcock was sentenced to eight months in prison with two years suspended and sentenced to 80 hours of community work.
King was sentenced to 10 months in prison with a two-year suspended sentence for later pleading guilty and being ordered to perform 100 hours of community work.
Judge Sjolin Knight told the couple that an order prohibiting them from keeping dogs was not appropriate due to the circumstances of the case.
The judge issued an order for Blizzard’s destruction after stressing that her attack on the baby was unpredictable.
Lincolnshire Police previously said Blizzard had been kept in isolation in secure kennels since the incident.
Expand your horizons with award-winning British journalism. Try The Telegraph for 1 month free, then enjoy 1 year for just $9 with our US exclusive offer.
