A woman in charge of a situation that got dangerously out of hand XL bully dog when it killed her teenage cousin has avoided jail.
Kelcie Reed, 24, was given an 18-week prison sentence – suspended for 18 months – after Morgan Dorsett, 19, died while attacked by the big dog.
The 55kg bully, named Prince, fatally injured Miss Dorsett at a flat in Cobhorn Drive, Withywood, Bristol, on February 26 last year.
Miss Dorsett, from Shrewsbury, Shropshire, suffered ‘numerous stab wounds, fractures and bruises’, Bristol Crown Court heard.
The dog was legally owned and had an exemption certificate in place requiring Prince to be muzzled and leashed in public.
However, there were no restrictions on how it should be stored in the home.
During an earlier hearing, Reed admitted to being in charge of a dog that became dangerously out of control, causing injuries that resulted in death.
Right Anna Richardson sentenced Reed to a suspended sentence with a requirement of nine months of mental health care.
Kelcie Reed, 24, was given an 18-week prison sentence – suspended for 18 months – after Morgan Dorsett, 19, died when she was attacked by an XL bully dog
Morgan Dorsett, 19, was fatally injured by XL Bully dog Prince on February 26, 2025
She acknowledged that Miss Dorset had spent four days at Reed’s home and had had no problems with Prince prior to the night in question.
Miss Dorset had moved from Shropshire to Bristol to live with her cousin because she wanted to experience life in a big city.
The court heard Miss Dorset had taken cocaine, had a seizure and then started screaming, causing the dog to attack.
Reed tried to protect her cousin from Prince, sustaining injuries to her arms, and called emergency services once the dog was secured.
Oliver Willmott, prosecuting, said a neighbor heard shouting coming from the adjacent property.
He told the court: ‘What he is describing is: ‘Lay down, lie down, lie down’, in a shouting voice.
‘He thought he could hear another person screaming too. He went outside and heard a woman shouting, ‘She’s fucking dead.’
When police arrived on the scene, Prince, who belonged to Reed and her partner, was sedated and then euthanized.
Reed hid her face in a large hood when she arrived at Bristol Crown Court on Friday
Mr Willmott said Prince had killed another dog in a previous incident and Reed had previously posted on Facebook asking for advice on training.
“It was clear that this dog had the capacity to cause significant damage,” he said.
However, Reed’s defense argued that she had no knowledge of previous incidents with Prince and that the attack on the other dog was never reported to police.
They said the attack was a “sudden, unexpected event beyond Kelcie’s control” and noted that she had a history of mental health problems.
They continued: ‘What was different was the cocaine Morgan had used previously.
“Its effect had caused Morgan to act out of character, which caused Prince’s reaction.
“The likelihood of an incident like this could not have been foreseen and there were no other safety measures that could have been taken.”
Reed cried as family members read victim impact statements while Caelia Dorsett, Morgan’s 19-year-old sister, told the court she had lost her “best friend.”
She told the court: ‘This loss has not only affected me, but our entire family – all eight of our siblings, our extended family and everyone who loved Morgan. I hope that one day we will get the answers we need to move forward.
Morgan’s mother, Marie Smith, spoke of her creativity, individuality and enthusiasm to start her life in Bristol after moving from a small town in Shropshire (Morgan Dorsett is pictured)
The court heard Morgan (pictured) had taken cocaine, had a seizure and then started screaming, causing the dog to attack
‘For now we will continue living without our big sister.
She will never see our graduations, go to our weddings, or meet her cousins. We love and miss you forever.”
Morgan’s mother, Marie Smith, spoke about her creativity, individuality and enthusiasm for starting her life in Bristol after moving from a small town in Shropshire.
She said, “She was my firstborn, and for twenty years her name was on every card I ever wrote. When I see someone with pink or green hair, or torn tights – which Morgan tore on purpose to be different – I think of her.
“I don’t think I’ll ever be able to fully explain how much this has changed every part of our lives. The impact is constant and will always stay with us.’
Judge Richardson said during sentencing: ‘This is a case that has been extremely tragic for the family of Morgan Dorsett and has also had a huge impact on you.
‘I do not accept a comparable impact, but a huge impact.
“The sentence I impose, regardless of where I found this case in the guidelines, would, I suspect, appear wholly inadequate to Morgan’s family.
‘That is because the damage suffered by her loved ones is of the greatest possible magnitude.
‘The effect of this order is that you will receive a prison sentence.
“If you do not attend appointments in the next 18 months and do not comply with the treatment requirement, you will serve that prison sentence.”
The judge noted that there were six mitigating factors that led her to conclude that a custodial sentence was inappropriate, including Reed’s position as a young mother, her good character references and her clear evidence of remorse.
Reed was also banned from keeping dogs for fifteen years.
