A man was found dead in his brother’s garden after being savaged by a pack of dogs he had agreed to look after while his sibling was in hospital.
Nicholas Glass, 33, suffered fatal injuries in a vicious attack in the Rubery area of Birmingham. He was believed to have been mauled on the night of August 19 last year and wasn’t discovered until two days later.
An inquest heard that Nicholas likely escaped through a rear window in an effort to flee but bled to death in the garden before help could arrive. His body was found partially obscured by a wooden fence panel.
XL bullies and other breeds roaming loose
Police were first alerted after receiving a call in the early hours reporting several dogs roaming loose on Hereford Close. The animals had escaped from the home of Nicholas’s brother, James, who was in hospital at the time. Nicholas had offered to care for the dogs in his absence.
Four dogs were involved, including two XL bullies, an American bulldog, and a mixed-breed Staffordshire terrier. Two were secured on the night of the incident, and the others were found by police in the following days.
CCTV showed Nicholas entering the property before loud barking was heard. Assistant Coroner Adam Hodson said there was evidence to suggest Nicholas was bitten by more than one of the dogs, but it was impossible to determine which breed inflicted the fatal injuries.
“A terrible tragedy”
The inquest found Nicholas had suffered multiple dog bites, with blunt force trauma recorded as the cause of death. One of the wounds was described as severe damage to his left eye, along with puncture wounds to his legs and feet.
“This appears to have been a terrible tragedy,” the coroner said. “Nicholas was a caring brother and son who simply offered to look after his brother’s dogs while he was in hospital. He sadly lost his life as a terrible consequence.”
XL bully attacks rise amid tighter restrictions
Since February 2024, owning an XL bully in England and Wales without an exemption certificate has been a criminal offence. The breed was added to the list of banned dogs under the Dangerous Dogs Act, alongside the pit bull terrier and Japanese Tosa.
The tragic case follows a spate of fatal XL bully attacks across the country. Earlier this year, 84-year-old John McColl died from injuries inflicted by one of the banned dogs in Warrington. Days later, 19-year-old Morgan Dorsett was killed in a separate incident in Bristol.
In Sunderland, Christopher Bell was jailed for three years after his XL bully escaped during a confrontation and fatally attacked his neighbour, Ian Langley.
Police figures show the number of seized banned dogs has soared in the last year, with hundreds of animals destroyed and kennel costs expected to hit £25 million.
The coroner in Nicholas Glass’s case concluded the death was accidental.
