Woman Charged Over Cousin’s Fatal Dog Mauling in Court

Kelcie Reed, a 24-year-old woman from Bristol, appeared in court on Thursday, April 23, facing charges related to the fatal mauling of her 19-year-old cousin, Morgan Dorsett, by an XL Bully dog in Withywood, Bristol, last February.

Reed, who resides on Barrowmead Drive in the Lawrence Weston area, stood before District Judge Lynn Matthews at Bristol Magistrates Court. She faces a single charge of being in possession of a dog dangerously out of control, causing injury resulting in death. The incident occurred on February 26 at a flat on Cobhorn Drive, where Dorsett, originally from Shrewsbury in Shropshire, suffered severe bites to her neck. Emergency services pronounced her dead at the scene, and the dog, named Prince, was subsequently euthanized by authorities.

During the brief hearing, Reed confirmed her personal details but did not enter a plea. Her solicitor indicated that she was not in a position to do so at this stage. Reed, dressed in black, was observed weeping as the judge read the charge. District Judge Matthews adjourned the case and committed it to Bristol Crown Court for further proceedings, scheduling the next hearing for May 27.