Clashes outside court as family arrive for baby death sentencing

There were dramatic scenes outside Northampton Crown Court as the mother of a baby who was mauled to death by the family dog, an American Pitbull in October 2014, arrived to be sentenced.

Both the mother and grandmother of six month old Molly-Mae Wotherspoon have admitted owning a banned breed of dog.

At a previous hearing Northampton Crown Court heard the little girl had been left in the care of her grandmother, Susan Aucott, 54.

Her mother Claire Riley, 23, of Merrydale Square, Northampton, had originally denied owning a dog dangerously out of control, but changed her plea at the last moment .

The dog was described by a vet before the attack as the most aggressive she had ever seen.

The court heard Molly Mae suffered severe blood loss from head wounds and died in Northampton Hospital.

The dog, called Bruiser, was put down at the scene. Ownership of pit bulls was banned under the 1991 Dangerous Dogs Act. Ms Riley claimed it was a cross breed and therefore not illegal.