Bristol woman receives suspended sentence after cousin killed by XL bully

In February 2025, an XL bully named Prince attacked and killed 19-year-old Morgan Dorsett at a flat on Cobhorn Drive in Bishopsworth, south Bristol. The dog belonged to 24-year-old Kelcie Reed and her boyfriend, and Reed was charged with being in charge of a dangerously out-of-control animal. At Bristol Crown Court, Judge Anna Richardson imposed an 18-week prison sentence, suspended for 18 months, and required Reed to undergo mental-health treatment; she wept throughout the hearing.

Police sedated Prince at the scene and later humanely destroyed the animal. A post-mortem revealed cocaine in Dorsett’s system, which may have contributed to his erratic behavior before the attack. Emergency responders could not prevent the fatal neck and facial bites, and Reed suffered cuts and bruises while attempting to intervene.