A 24-year-old woman has been given a suspended prison sentence after her XL bully dog attacked and killed her teenage cousin at a flat in south Bristol.

Kelcie Reed appeared at Bristol Crown Court, where Judge Anna Richardson sentenced her to 18 weeks in prison, suspended for 18 months. Reed had previously pleaded guilty to being in charge of a dog dangerously out of control causing the death of 19-year-old Morgan Dorsett. Alongside the suspended sentence, she has been ordered to undergo mental health treatment.

The fatal attack took place in February 2025 at Reed's home in Cobhorn Drive, Bishopsworth. Emergency services were called to the property, but Morgan, who was visiting from Shrewsbury, died from bite injuries to her neck and face, according to post-mortem findings.

The court heard how the incident began unexpectedly. Judge Richardson noted that Morgan sat up and screamed upon seeing the dog, named Prince. That startled the animal, causing it to bark and launch the fatal attack. Reed tried to pull the dog away and suffered cuts and bruises herself, but her intervention was unsuccessful.

Avon and Somerset Police confirmed that the dog, which was owned jointly by Reed and her boyfriend, was sedated at the scene and later humanely destroyed.

Reed was visibly emotional during the hearing and wept in the dock as the sentence was delivered. Passing sentence, Judge Richardson noted that Reed had spared relatives the ordeal of a full trial, telling her: "Rather than putting everyone through the additional trauma of a trial, you accepted responsibility. You are someone who has over the last 18 months done what they needed to do to try and move forward. You need to continue to do that."

For Morgan's family, the loss remains deeply painful. Her sister, Caeila Dorsett, described their close bond in an interview with BBC Newsbeat, explaining that they had shared a room for 16 years, attended the same schools and shared the same friends. "She was definitely the person to take the good out of every situation and make it the centre," she said.

In a victim impact statement read to the court, Caeila explained that while she initially felt sympathy for Reed having to witness the attack, she felt her cousin had "not shown any remorse or compassion" over the following 18 months. She added: "We continue to live with so many unanswered questions which makes it difficult to find any sense of peace."

The family are now working alongside the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs to push for tighter enforcement around banned breeds. Their focus is on closing potential loopholes in existing laws, including situations where an exempt dog lives with someone other than the official certificate holder.

Detective Sergeant Rich Glanville confirmed this was the first fatal XL bully attack recorded in the Avon and Somerset area. Describing it as a "horrendous incident", he stressed that owners must take full responsibility for understanding an animal's temperament, history and training before taking charge of a powerful breed.

Officers have urged anyone concerned about a dog's behaviour to contact a vet or police dog liaison officers for guidance. I'll be following this one — check back for updates.