A man sent a disturbing joke to his partner regarding their 26-day-old baby after their aggressive French bulldog attacked the infant’s toes.

Aaron Newsome, 24, and Caitlin Powell, 20, initially lied about their baby being harmed by a stranger’s dog at a bus stop when they went to Ormskirk Hospital on October 5, 2023. However, medical staff doubted their story and contacted the authorities.

Their deception was uncovered during police questioning. Newsome, from Evington in Skelmersdale, reacted angrily when asked to have his phone examined. This led investigators to find proof of their fabricated account.

Text messages showed Newsome instructing Powell to maintain their false story about walking near Lidl and the church bus stop. He heartlessly joked about needing a one-legged sleep suit for their injured son.

The brutal incident occurred on October 4, 2023, just before Powell brought their injured baby to Ormskirk Hospital. Powell insisted that a stranger’s dog had bitten the baby, but later admitted that their French bulldog, Boss, had bitten the child while he was crying.

Carl Powell, Caitlin’s father, was also involved in concealing the attack. He claimed he rushed to the hospital after being informed by his daughter about the incident.

Text conversations between Carl Powell and Newsome revealed discussions about Boss, with Carl mentioning giving the dog away. It later emerged that Boss was handed over to a woman unaware of the attack.

The infant suffered toe injuries, resulting in the amputation of one toe. After a 12-day hospital stay, the baby showed signs of significant healing.

Newsome, Carl Powell, and Caitlin Powell admitted to perverting the course of justice. Caitlin also pleaded guilty to failing to control a dog that caused injury.

Newsome had no prior criminal record, while Carl Powell had a history of 24 convictions for various offenses. They received suspended prison sentences at Liverpool Crown Court.

Caitlin’s sentencing was postponed as the current owner of Boss could not be located. The judge expressed concern about deciding on the dog’s fate and delayed Caitlin’s sentencing to a later date.