Grandmother cleared of Ellie's death

The grandmother of dog attack victim Ellie Lawrenson was acquitted of her manslaughter today.

The jury of seven men and five women at Liverpool Crown Court found Jacqueline Simpson (aged 45), innocent after a six-day trial.

Ellie was killed by her uncle Kiel Simpson’s pit bull terrier on New Year’s Eve after Simpson, who had smoked 10 joints and drunk two bottles of wine, let it in.

Ellie, killed at Simpson’s home in St Helens, Merseyside, had 72 injuries.

The maximum sentence for manslaughter is life imprisonment.