Daniel John Twigg, the Cane Corso who killed him, & the Hen Carr Farm. (Beth Clifton collage)
Survivors warned that next incident could be fatal
MANCHESTER, United Kingdom––Greater Manchester police are reportedly investigating themselves after alleged weak response to three previous dog attacks on passers-by led up to the May 15, 2022 fatal mauling of three-year-old Daniel John Twigg.
Daniel John Twigg loved dogs and liked to play with them, according to parental testimony at a May 17, 2022 preliminary inquest hearing.
Daniel John Twigg was killed, however, by at least one Cane Corso and possibly other dogs of unidentified breeds outside his home at Hen Carr Farm, Tunshill Lane, Milnrow, Rochdale, Blackley, Greater Manchester, Lancashire.
Daniel John Twigg’s father, Mark Anthony Twigg, 40, is reportedly a Hen Carr Farm gardener. The victim’s mother, Joanne Tracie Bedford, 34, is a homemaker, police coroners’ officer Tracy Bunn testified to senior North Manchester coroner Joanne Kearsley at the Rochdale Coroners’ Court hearing..
Daniel John Twigg.
(Facebook photo)
48-year-old man charged, but not named
Other dogs whose photographs have been posted to social media by Daniel John Twigg’s mother in recent years have included at least two German shepherds, a greyhound, a basset mix, and a black Pomeranian whom Daniel John Twigg’s parents reported stolen on May 8, 2022.
The reportedly blood-covered Cane Corso believed to have been the primary attacker was killed by police at the scene. Ten other dogs were impounded, several of whom were later euthanized.
A 48-year-old man, not yet identified by police, was arrested at the Hen Carr Farm for alleged violations of the Dangerous Dogs Act 1991, not including possession of prohibited breeds.
He was reportedly later released on bail.
(See U.K. Dangerous Dogs Act exempts the two breeds most likely to kill and Cane Corso: A pit bull by any other name.)
(Merritt Clifton collage)
Discrepancy in reported time of attack
“The boy was outside with a number of dogs when the attack took place,” Manchester Guardian correspondent Mark Brown reported on May 16, 2022.
“The ambulance service and police were called at around 1.15 p.m. and the boy was taken to the Royal Manchester Children’s Hospital, where he died a short time later,” Brown said.
After the May 17, 2022 preliminary inquest hearing, however, the Manchester Evening News reported that, “Police were called to the Carr Farm at 3.22 p.m.,” more than two hours later than in the Guardian account.
The discrepancy in timing was not explained, but the Greater Manchester police appear to have much more than that to explain.
Joanne Tracie Bedford & Mark Anthony Twigg.
(Facebook photo)
Hen Carr Farm
On arrival, the police rescue team found Daniel John Twigg “unconscious, not breathing, in cardiac arrest,” police coroners’ officer Bunn testified.
Hen Carr Farm, a local landmark, is a historical farmstead with some buildings reputedly dating back to the 18th century.
The Hen Carr Farm property, under the present ownership since 2006, includes both organic farming facilities and variety of rental housing, ranging from upscale to modest.
A day after Daniel John Twigg was killed, Brown wrote, “the area remained cordoned off, with officers standing guard at the entrance.
(Beth Clifton collage)
Warning signs
“Signs at the farm entrance were clearly visible saying: ‘Dogs are loose. Do not leave your vehicle. Beep or call,’ giving a telephone number. Another sign said: ‘Warning. Beware of the dogs. They bite.’
“A number of dog walkers told ITV News that they avoided the area where the attack took place because of previous incidents,” Brown said.
Looking into that, Brown learned that “Greater Manchester police have referred themselves to the Independent Police Complaints Commission after it emerged that officers had previous involvement” with dog attacks at or near the Hen Carr Farm.
(Beth Clifton collage)
Attack just three weeks earlier
“The force confirmed that it received a report on April 9, 2022 that a 17-year-old girl had been bitten by a dog on Carr Lane, Milnrow,” Brown continued.
“Greater Manchester police assistant chief constable Scott Green confirmed that there had been previous contact.”
Said Green, “A thorough investigation is ongoing to establish the full circumstances surrounding this incident and review other incidents of note.
“Due to previous contact, the Greater Manchester Police professional standards branch is making a referral to the Independent Office for Police Conduct.”
Kia Walker & Hen Carr Farm.
(Beth Clifton collage from Facebook photos.)
Police dropped 2021 attack investigation
The April 9, 2022 attack on the 17-year-old girl came a year after a previous disfiguring attack, Guardian reporter Thomas George revealed on May 18, 2022.
Kia Walker, 19, “said she made a complaint to police last year after she was mauled by a dog while walking on a footpath just yards from where the fatal attack happened,” George wrote.
“Walker was left with horrific injuries to her arm following the attack in April 2021,” George continued, illustrating his account with photos showing bites and scratches covering most of the left side of her body.
Walker told Hollie Bone of The Mirror that, “I was on a public footpath. The gate was open and the two dogs came out and that’s when they attacked me. There were two Tibetan mastiffs. I was on my own and I had to climb along a wall to get away.”
Wrote Bone, “Greater Manchester Police claimed that Kia chose not to take further action, but she alleges this is not true and that she was told “nothing more could be done.”
Cane Corso belonging to Chris Twigg, relationship to Daniel John Twigg unclear. (Facebook photo)
Woman badly mauled in 2020
Nor was that the first dog attack reported to police from Hen Carr Farm.
The Manchester Evening News also found that a woman who declined to be named was attacked by a Cane Corso on March 29, 2020 less than 100 yards from where Daniel John Twigg fell.
“The dog wasn’t on a lead,” the woman said. “It was hanging off my arms and tugging at me. It bit me on my side.”
This Cane Corso “is not believed to be the same dog who was involved” in the fatal attack on Daniel John Twigg, George of The Guardian said.
That victim “was taken to hospital where she was treated for her injuries, but has since been left with scars to her arm. She says police officers told her they would not visit the farm if there were ‘dangerous dogs on the loose,’ as it was dark.
Cane Corso. (Beth Clifton collage)
“Were they going to wait until someone was dead?”
“The woman believes the attack was captured on closed circuit television,” George noted, “but claims police said there was no evidence of what she was alleging.
“They said there was no proof,” the woman told George.
“I don’t think they ever went up there,” the woman opined. “They just wouldn’t do anything. I asked them if they were going to wait until someone was dead to do something.”
There may have been a dog attack at Hen Carr Farm even before that.
According to Hollie Bone of The Mirror, “One woman, who wished to remain anonymous, told The Mirror, ‘I was attacked about six years ago. He [the property owner] always had vicious dogs,'” this source said.
“We lived near there and one of his smaller dogs attacked my ex and my mum’s friend too,” Bone quoted the source. “I got attacked by one of the bigger ones and couldn’t walk for a month, as it was on my ankle. He has a public footpath running through his yard. Everyone who has walked through there will say about how the dogs would bark and go for them through the fence.”
(Beth Clifton collage)
“They just sent me a letter”
In that case too, the police apparently were unresponsive. “When I got attacked I contacted the police went in and did a statement,” Bone’s source said. “They never went up to the farm to speak to the owner or even check the dog to see if it actually was vicious. They just sent me a letter a few weeks later saying no further action would be taken.”
Senior coroner Kearsley adjourned the May 17, 2022 preliminary hearing until September 1, 2022, after Greater Manchester Police major incident team detective chief inspector Gina Brennand testified that a criminal investigation is underway.
Merritt, Teddy, & Beth Clifton.
“We are aware of a number of incidents of note which preceded the death of three-year-old Daniel Twigg,” acknowledged detective chief inspector Dave Jones, of the Greater Manchester Police Professional Standards Branch.
“As per the Independent Office for Police Conduct’s Statutory Guidance,” Jones confirmed, “we have made a referral to the Independent Office for Police Conduct, and are awaiting a decision from their analysts, which will determine how this investigation is progressed.”
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Sounds like corruption.
Looking at the situation from here, it is conspicuous that the past police indifference toward dog attacks at Hen Carr Farm stinks of good-old-boy-ism, while four of the five individuals pushing the police investigation are women, who may themselves be mothers. These include police coroners’ officer Tracy Bunn, senior North Manchester coroner Joanne Kearsley, and Greater Manchester Police major incident team detective chief inspector Gina Brennand. None of them would have been assigned to the case before there was a fatality. Also speaking out is injured civilian Kia Walker, who previously sought police response, without success until Daniel John Twigg was killed. Then, finally, people listened.
I know the people at the farm personally. The current incident is the only incident.
The poor toddler was mauled by Twigg family’s own 6 big dogs, not I might add the farm owners dogs, who are kept entirely separately, as the Twigg family have lived there since February as tenants in the main farmhouse, not just visiting or working as speculators are saying
The Kia Walker incident did not involve any dogs from the farm. It was dogs being walked on the bridle way. Indeed it was the farm owners who tended to her and got a ambulance. The Walker family only got pointed in the wrong direction by the malicious meddling of the farmer’s ex-wife, who basically just lied.
The farm owners ex-wife is the anonymous person in the Manchester Evening News article. She made that up also to cause problems for the farm owner and his new girlfriend.
“Brian,” above, who does seem to have some direct knowledge of the Daniel John Twigg fatality, makes several questionable allegations, the first of which is that “The current incident is the only incident.”
There appear to have been a minimum of five dog attacks of Ian Dunbar scale Level Four severity or greater at the Hen Carr Farm in recent years. Before the death of Daniel John Twigg, the Greater Manchester police have acknowledged an April 9, 2022 attack on a 17-year-old girl on Carr Lane, Milnrow, near where Twigg died. Kia Walker was attacked and badly injured, apparently by two Tibetan mastiffs, in April 2021. The Manchester Evening News reported that a woman who declined to be named was attacked by a Cane Corso on March 29, 2020. And Hollie Bone of The Mirror interviewed a woman who was mauled in 2016, who said she had knowledge of other biting incidents, presumably of less severity.
As ANIMALS 24-7 reported, a Chris Twigg, relationship to Daniel John Twigg unknown, has kept a Cane Corso. But if the Twigg family only arrived at Hen Carr Farm in February 2022, whose was the Cane Corso involved in the 2020 attack? Whose dogs were involved in the previous maulings?
Most important, why did the authorities take no decisive action in response to any or all of the previous attacks, before Daniel John Twigg was killed?
There are numerous farms up there with big dogs. There’s one on Water Lane before Motorway Bridge with 3 big Rotties. There’s one further up with 2 German shepherds called New Field Head Farm. Then the barn being converted at Tunshill farm has 2 German shepherds. All these dogs get loose periodically. Then there’s often numerous dogs on the footpaths. The Twigg’s had 6 dogs who were often loose, and the main farm had some dogs locked in their yard.
So anyone whose been bitten in recent years, could have happened from numerous places
Gossiping people should stop vilifying the one property and look at the bigger picture
A local resident
Looking closely at the bigger picture, as ANIMALS 24-7 has been doing, establishes that all four surviving victims of dog attacks at or new Hen Carr Farm have stipulated that they were attacked within 300 feet of less of where Daniel John Twigg was attacked; some knew the dogs from previous incidents and encounters; and Kia Walker specified that she was mauled by two Tibetan mastiffs who ran out of the farm gate. None, so far, have mentioned either Rottweilers or German shepherds, though such testimony could yet come from others. Either way, Rottweilers and German shepherds are easily distinguished from Cane Corsos and Tibetan mastiffs, who have been specified.
All of the locations mentioned by “David,” above, are close to half a mile away. While a dog or dogs might in theory run half a mile to attack someone, the Occam’s Razor test suggests that the dogs who fit the victims’ descriptions and live closest to the scene of the attacks were by far the most likely culprits.