Inquest finds death of 10-year-old Savannah Bentham linked to family XL Bully Biggie in North Yorkshire caravan

A North Yorkshire coroner recorded a narrative conclusion on Sept. 23, 2025 that Savannah Bentham, 10, died from neck injuries inflicted by her family's XL Bully, Biggie, in their static caravan at East Heslerton.

Tracey Bentham had left Savannah watching television with Biggie in the caravan. The dog was described as lazy, and although classed as a dangerous breed, it was legally registered under an exemption certificate, with the family having complied with all legal requirements.

The tragedy unfolded a fortnight after Savannah's birthday when she asked to take a shower and the hot water failed because the Calor gas connection was not in place. Tracey Bentham went into the grounds of the caravan site to locate Savannah's grandfather to fix the gas bottle. When she returned, she found Savannah lying in a fetal position on the caravan floor, having been bitten in the throat by Biggie, who was later destroyed.

Detective Chief Inspector Matthew Wilkinson, the senior investigating officer, said the family had owned Biggie for four years and that the dog had been registered, chipped and neutered. He noted that the relevant legislation requires a dangerous dog to be muzzled in public, but not inside the family home. He added there were no witnesses to the attack, and that Tracey Bentham and another family member had begun first aid before emergency services arrived. Savannah was pronounced dead at the scene and later taken to Scarborough Hospital. The post-mortem cited neck injuries as the cause of death.

Biggie was taken to police kennels and later subjected to a post-mortem, which found no physical or pathological changes that could explain an outburst of aggression and no signs the dog had been troubled. The Northallerton Coroner's Court was told that police considered a range of offences under the dangerous-dogs guidelines, including manslaughter, but the case did not progress.

During the hearing, the coroner explained that the dog was not muzzled because the legislation did not require it to be in the family home. Senior Coroner Jon Heath recorded a narrative conclusion that Savannah died as a consequence of injuries inflicted by the family dog and confirmed that Biggie was a XL Bully registered under an exemption certificate.

The family issued a statement shortly after the death, saying they were utterly shocked and devastated by what happened and thanked everyone for their support as they cope with their loss.