Elon Jase Ellis-Joynes was just 12 days old when he was killed by the Chow Chow cross in Alsace at his home in Doncaster in September 2020. He suffered 30 to 40 puncture wounds and later died at the hospital, while the dog, named Teddy, was destroyed. His father, 36-year-old Stephen Joynes, pleaded guilty to owning a dangerously out-of-control dog, causing injury and death. The baby’s mother, Abigail Ellis, 28, denied the same charge and was due to stand trial, but prosecutors sought an innocent verdict in her case after Joynes took full responsibility. He was sentenced to four years in prison in a Sheffield court on Thursday. Abigail Ellis, 28, denied owning a dangerously out-of-control dog that killed her newborn son, and prosecutors later dropped the charge. (SWNS) Prosecuting Richard Thyne QC said Joynes moved in with his mother of three, Mrs. Ellis, who looked “vulnerable” after her ex-partner died of an illness, and brought the dog with him. He told the court: “This dog was originally bought in January 2019 by the defendant’s ex-partner, as a gift for their daughter. “However, it had become clear that they could not get along with the dog and so the accused accepted ownership as a result.” Mr Thyne described how in the months leading up to the attack, a neighbor raised his six-foot fence to prevent the dog from entering his property. Other neighbors said they had seen Joynes “kick and yell” at the dog on occasions. The court also heard that on April 9, five months before the fatal incident, Ms. Ellis had taken her son, Henley, to her local doctor after injuring his right thigh. While it was initially claimed he had been bitten by a stray dog, later investigation after Elon’s death revealed that the injury was caused by Teddy. Mr Thyne said that when the family returned home the afternoon of Elon’s death, the newborn was pushed into the living room in his pram. Dozens of flowers were left outside the family home in Doncaster after the death of 12-day-old Elon Ellis-Joynes in a dog attack. (SWNS) Ms. Ellis told the court she went upstairs to use the toilet “urgently” while Jones was playing in the garden with the children. Mr Thyne said one of Mrs. Ellis’s sons noticed that the dog was missing and entered the house to investigate. The court heard the boy find Teddy standing grunting over baby Elon, who was lying on the floor. A posthumous report found that Elon died as a result of severe injuries to his chest and abdomen with injuries “usually bitten repeatedly by a dog”. The court heard Ms. Ellis call 999 “distressed” and nurses rushed to the home, finding Elon “pale with at least 30 to 40 puncture wounds and two wounds to his torso and abdomen.” Mr Thyne told the court: “The accused and Ms Ellis said in the interview that they had left him safely in his wheelchair, but the point of the prosecution is that they should have actually placed him on the couch.” He said the doctor “would have expected to see head and neck injuries” if the baby had been in the stroller and scientific evidence showed that there was a bloodstain on the floor and sofa, but not in the stroller. A dog pen can be seen in the back garden of the house (center) where 12-day-old Elon Jase Ellis-Joynes was killed (Tom Maddick / SWNS) The court heard a dog behavior expert conclude that the dog caused Elon’s injuries “while investigating what was, for the dog, a strange object”. On mitigation, Edward Moss said the incident was a “word definition” tragedy and that Jones had been diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) after his son’s death and was receiving counseling. He said: “What punishment could be given to this man who is greater than the punishment he has already been given and will have for the rest of his life?” He added that Joynes and Ms. Ellis were still together but had lost custody of their children as a result of the incident. The court heard that the dog had been killed after the incident. Judge Jeremy Richardson QC said Elon’s death was “a tragedy waiting to happen” and that Joynes “should never have kept this dog”. He told the accused: “You knew that the dog was unmanageable and had vicious characteristics. “You made no effort to socialize the dog with children. All you had to do was kick and hit the dog and put it out. “You did not take any effective measures to protect any of the children, at least your 12-day-old baby.” Additional reports from agencies
