The dog had to be shot 10 times by police after ‘savaging’ 84-year-old John McColl as he walked home from the pub
16:08, 31 Mar 2026Updated 16:40, 31 Mar 2026
Sean Garner’s XL bully Toretto ‘savaged’ and killed 84-year-old John McColl(Image: Cheshire Police )
This is the XL Bully that “savaged” and killed a pensioner. John McColl died aged 84 after being attacked by Sean Garner’s “family pet” Toretto, who police had to shoot 10 times in order to bring under control.
It came after the seemingly “confused” OAP mistakenly entered the “irresponsible” owner’s driveway on his way home from the pub. Neighbours used a brush, a golf club and a spirit level as improvised weapons in an attempt to stave off the attack, but to no avail as the banned breed “guarded” the elderly victim “as if he were its prey or food”.
Garner, of Dinaro Close in Belle Vale, was meanwhile said to have “made jokes” in Facebook voice notes while emergency services were fighting to save Mr McColl’s life, having earlier described the XL bully as “missing a few nuts and bolts”. The 31-year-old has been on trial at Liverpool Crown Court accused of causing his death by being the owner of a dangerously out of control dog in relation to the incident at his then home on Bardsley Avenue in Warrington.
And Garner was unanimously found guilty of this single charge by a jury of eight men and four women this afternoon, Tuesday, after two hours and 13 minutes of deliberations. The dad-of-three was heard to tell members of his family “love yous all” as he entered the dock prior to the verdict before showing no reaction as he learned his fate.
Sean Garner, of Dinaro Close in Belle Vale, aged 31
Members of his family meanwhile gasped and burst into tears, with some seen with their heads in their hands. Garner will now be sentenced on Friday, April 17, and was remanded into custody until this date, with one woman telling him “love you Sean” as he was led to the cells.
Adjourning the case, Judge Brian Cummings KC told him: “Mr Garner, you have been found guilty on count one. You have previously pleaded guilty to three other offences. You will be sentenced by me in respect of all of those. That will take place on Friday the 17th of April.
“I am remanding you into custody. You will either appear via video link or be brought to court. Your sentence will be decided on that occasion. Any time you spend in custody on remand will count towards the sentence that you will receive. Plainly, that will be a substantial prison sentence.”
The judge also excused the jury from serving again for the next 10 years due to the “nature of the evidence” being “certainly amongst the worst he has heard”, adding: “Members of the jury, thank you for the careful attention that you have paid to this very serious and, plainly, very distressing case. I am extremely grateful to you all for the time that you have devoted to the case. My great gratitude to you all for your participation in this trial.”
Turning to Mr McColl’s family, some of whom were similarly seen to be in tears, Judge Cummings finally said: “My condolences to the family. I am very grateful to them all for their dignity and restraint throughout the trial.”
Cheshire Police have now released pictures of Toretto which were recovered from Garner’s phone during their investigation. It is believed that the dog was named after Dominic Toretto, the character played by Vin Diesel in the Fast and Furious film franchise.
Sean Garner’s XL bully Toretto ‘savaged’ and killed 84-year-old John McColl
Images of Garner’s second XL Malibu, who was also shot dead by officers at the scene, have also been released by the force.
Detective Inspector Simon Mills, of Cheshire Police’s major investigation team, said following the verdict: “Firstly, I would like to express my deepest sympathies to John’s family, and I hope that the verdict reached today will provide them with some closure.
“The injuries sustained by John were absolutely horrific and left him unrecognisable to friends and family. Yet, despite his injuries, he fought hard to survive as long as possible. I cannot begin to imagine the amount of pain and suffering he must have endured.
A second XL bully called Malibu, pictured, was also shot dead by police after Sean Garner’s dog Toretto ‘savaged’ and killed 84-year-old John McColl
“I would also like to take this as an opportunity to thank all those who provided help and assistance to John, including the members of the public, officers and medical staff, all of whom fought hard to save him. Many of those who attended described the attack as one of the most traumatising incidents that they have ever dealt with.
“John was a kind and generous dad, grandad, and great grandad who was well liked by all those who knew him. If anything can be achieved by his death, I hope that it acts as a reminder about the dangers of XL bullies to ensure that nobody else has to go through the pain and suffering that his family have endured over the past year.”
John McColl, 84, died after he was attacked by an XL Bully(Image: Cheshire Police)
David Birrell, prosecuting, told the jury last week that Mr McColl had “for some reason, wandered into the defendant’s driveway” at around 6pm on February 24 last year. He added: “We will never know why he did it. Perhaps he was confused. He had been to the pub, although he had not had very much to drink. We will never know.
“What we do know is that, after he entered the defendant’s driveway, the dog attacked him, and it just would not let him go. People tried to help him, grown men with weapons, hitting the dog. But it was no use. The dog would not let him go. The dog guarded him as if he were its prey. It savaged him.
“The police were called, and they arrived on the scene quickly. But the first police officers, who were unarmed, could not get to Mr McColl. Firearms officers came with guns. They had to shoot the dog. They had to shoot it 10 times.”
Sean Garner’s XL bully Toretto ‘savaged’ and killed 84-year-old John McColl(Image: Cheshire Police )
Mr Birrell detailed how one officer was required to shoot the XL Bully nine times with a pistol while another blasted the “large, savage dog” with a shotgun. PCs thereafter also shot dead a second, female XL Bully which was found on the property so as to “not to take any chances”.
Meanwhile, Mr McColl was rushed to hospital but died a month later from his injuries. Vets later examined Toretto and found only human flesh and pieces of plastic in his stomach, with no dog food present.
Police repeatedly attempted to contact Garner and asked him to return home during a phone call, but he was instead said to have “avoided police” as family members messaged him “advising him to lie”.
Mr Birrell added of these texts: “He made light of the situation. He was making jokes while doctors were valiantly trying to save John McColl’s life. He avoided the police for two days before he handed himself in.”
Garner was then said to have “lied” under interview, having claimed that the dog had “never shown any sign of aggression”, although Toretto was evidenced to have fought with Malibu and injured the defendant’s mother previously. He also claimed that the dog was not an XL Bully, although he later admitted that both were banned dogs.
A second XL bully called Malibu, pictured, was also shot dead by police after Sean Garner’s dog Toretto ‘savaged’ and killed 84-year-old John McColl
During his evidence, Garner claimed that he had left Toretto locked inside a shed beyond a garden gate which was bolted shut, having left home at around 4pm on the day in question. He also accused Mr McColl having released the dog before he was attacked.
Under questioning from his counsel Lloyd Morgan, Garner told the court: “His behaviour was brilliant. If my dog had shown aggression, I wouldn’t have had it around my kids. I’ve got a family. I’ve got people who would have stepped in and told me to get rid of that dog. He was always fine.”
Asked how he felt after learning of the incident via news reports, Garner added: “I couldn’t believe it. Absolutely devastated. I’ve looked after old people for years myself. I love old people. I’d never wish this on anybody. I couldn’t put into words what happened. I couldn’t believe it.”
In cross-examination, Mr Birrell branded his account as “ludicrous” as well as accusing him of being “cowardly”, with Garner’s pregnant girlfriend having returned to the scene of the incident instead of him.
However, he added when re-examined by his own defence: “I’ve always took measures to make sure my dog was secure. I made sure I done every step I possibly could do to make sure he was safe. I could never imagine a man who had been the pub would go up my path on the way home and do what he done to let my dog out.”