Full Breakdown
Man’s Death After XL Bully Bite Leads to Crown Court Trial
8/12/2026, 9:35:20 PM
Incident and Court Proceedings
On 23 May 2022 at about 11:30 BST, 62-year-old Keven Jones of Chester was bitten on the leg by an American XL bully named Cookie while staying in the garden of his daughter-in-law, Chanel Fong, in Wrexham. Jones, who was in poor health and on methadone and blood-thinning medication, shouted for the dog to get off him before collapsing from severe blood loss. Emergency services were called, and first-aid attempts, including pressure on the wound, were made, but he died from extreme blood loss. A post-mortem confirmed the cause of death.
The case was opened at Caernarfon Crown Court, where prosecutor Mark Connor emphasized that the trial was not about whether Cookie’s breed was banned—XL Bullies were added to the prohibited-breed list in October 2023—but whether the dog was “dangerously out of control” and whether Fong was legally responsible as owner or caretaker. The prosecution argued that two people may have been in charge of the dog at the time, but maintained that Jones’s frail condition precluded him from sharing responsibility.
Background and Legal Context
At the time of the attack, XL Bullies were not yet on the banned-dog list; the ban was introduced in October 2023 following a series of high-profile incidents involving large, powerful breeds. The law now requires owners of such breeds to meet stricter control measures, but the current trial focuses on liability under existing negligence statutes rather than breed-specific legislation.
Key Figures
- Keven Jones – 62, Chester resident, victim; in poor health and on medication.
- Chanel Fong – 33, daughter-in-law of the victim, alleged owner of Cookie and caretaker at the time of the attack.
- Joshua Jones – Son of the victim and partner of Fong, listed as the dog’s owner on paper but not present during the incident.
- Mark Connor – Crown prosecutor leading the case.
- Det Con Kate Pollard – Lead police investigator who read Fong’s social-media account to the court.
Data & Statistics
Official Statements & Responses
He noted that Fong’s omission in not assisting Jones to bring the dogs inside, despite knowing the mother dog was in season, contributed to the “catastrophic state of affairs.”
Pollard expressed grief for both the victim and the euthanised dog.
The court later ordered that Cookie be humanely euthanised with the consent of Fong and Jones’s son. The trial continues to determine Fong’s legal responsibility for the fatal attack.
