Father of baby Kyra King admits being responsible for out-of-control dog

Kyra King was attacked on March 6, 2022 at Ostler Plantation near Woodhall Spa as her parents exercised their dogs in the woods.

Vince King, 55, had denied the charge at a previous hearing and was due to stand trial at Lincoln Crown Court, but changed his plea to guilty on the first day of the hearing.

Karen Alcock, 41, his former partner and mother of the child, had already pleaded guilty at a hearing in December.

They will both be sentenced in August.

Lincoln Crown Court heard that the pair had taken the dogs to Ostler Plantation at around 11pm to pull a racing sledge.

Kyra was in her pram outside the van belonging to Mr King when one of the female dogs, named Blizzard, escaped through a front passenger door and mauled her.

She was pronounced dead at the scene, with an inquest later finding she died from head and neck injuries.

Jeremy Janes, prosecuting, said their was no dispute that Mr King was the owner of Blizzard, who he described as a working "racing dog", rather than a domestic pet.

Mr Janes argued both parents were working as a team with the sledge dogs, and were jointly responsible for Blizzard.

The prosecutor accepted that both of Kyra's parents had been traumatised by the tragic event, and had now separated.

Siward James-Moore, defending King, said it was not disputed that Blizzard was out of control.

The pair will be sentenced for being in charge of a dog which was out of control causing injury resulting in death on August 14.

King, of Castle Dyke Bank, New York, was released on unconditional bail by Judge Catarina Sjolin Knight.