Angeline Mahal’s sons tried desperately to save their mother after she was mauled to death – but it is feared she had been dead for several hours before they arrived to check on her
The sons of a woman who was mauled to death by her two XL Bully dogs found their mum fighting for her life when they visited her.
Angeline Mahal, 50, died after she was attacked in her home in Hornchurch, east London, yesterday. Her two sons found her in the floor of her hallway before they alerted emergency services and attempted CPR, it is feared she may have been dead for hours. The Metropolitan Police confirmed Mahal had been pronounced dead at the scene. Officers later seized the two dogs.
“These were registered XL Bully dogs and prior to officers’ arrival had been contained inside a room in the house,” the spokesperson said. “They did not leave the house at any time during the incident. The family of the woman, who was the owner of the dogs, are being supported by officers.”
Mahal’s sons visited her as part of their regular checks and were later seen looking distraught outside, with one of them being seen crying. Armed officers raced to the home yesterday following reports of a “critical incident.” One neighbour told MailOnline, the sons were seen outside the home as emergency services fought to save Mahal’s life. The unnamed neighbour said: “The medics were working on her on the front driveway by the front door.
“One of the sons was in tears but you could see they were both devastated. The woman lives on her own with the dogs but her sons come round and visit her regularly. I’ve never seen the dogs being walked. I’ve not really seen them in the garden either. I hear them quite a bit in the house, they sometimes bark at night. The woman who died has been renting the house for about two to three years.”
A family member told The Sun they wanted her to get rid of the dogs, adding: “The bond with owners and their dogs is too strong. She had two dogs from when they were puppies. They were registered. It was more likely to have been one of them attacked her. We are just shocked. We miss her, she was sincere and loved by everyone.”
Restrictions on owning XL Bully dogs came into force on December 31 last year following concerns amid attacks involving the breed. It is now a legal requirement for all XL Bully dogs to be kept on a lead and muzzled when in public. Owners are forbidden from selling, advertising, exchanging, abandoning or letting their XL Bully dogs stray. The move was made after 23 people in the UK died in the three years leading up to the start of the ban.