A mother-of-three died after suffering multiple dog bite injuries at her home, an inquest has heard.

Elayne Stanley, 44, was attacked by her two American bulldogs after an argument with her daughter in Widnes, Cheshire, in September 2019.

Today's inquest hearing, in Warrington, was told that the dogs, named DJ and Billy, had lived with her for around three years after previously being owned by her partner Paul Leigh.

Mr Leigh, who did not attend the hearing, had previously been handed court orders requiring him to take steps to keep the dogs under control.

Miss Stanley's daughter Louise Smith told the inquest she was unsure whether her mother knew about incidents in 2016, which included an attack on another dog that had to be put to sleep and an incident where another dog owner was injured.

The dogs, named Billy and DJ, killed owner Elayne Stanley

Mr Leigh had been prosecuted under the Dangerous Dogs Act for being the owner in charge of out-of-control dogs, the court heard.

On September 24 in 2019, Miss Smith, who was pregnant at the time, went to her mum's house after college and said she ended up having a "heated discussion" with her.

As she went to leave, one of the dogs, a male American bulldog crossed with a Dogue de Bordeaux, bit Miss Stanley at the bottom of her leg, she said.

When the other dog joined the attack, Miss Smith went to get help.

“They were really big dogs, there was no way I was getting two dogs off her," she told the hearing.

The attack took place while Miss Stanley's twin daughters, who were 12-years-old at the time, were upstairs in a bedroom.

Elayne Stanley

Neighbours managed to contain the dogs in the back garden after throwing bricks at them.

Paramedics attended to Miss Stanley but she was pronounced dead at the scene, the inquest heard.

Jason Lennox, lead dog legislation officer for Cheshire Police, told the inquest American bulldogs were “guarding dogs” and could pick up on body language during arguments.

“DJ has interpreted this as a potential problem and has tried to stop any physical contact,” he told the hearing.

Asked by Miss Smith if the dogs may have detected she was pregnant, he said: “He may well have sensed you were pregnant and may well have been trying to protect you, or trying to protect you and the baby.”

DJ was put down at the scene after two attempts to sedate him were unsuccessful while Billy, a female dog, was taken away from the house and later euthanised, Mr Lennox said.

Coroner Peter Sigee said Mr Leigh had been called to give evidence but had not attended.

The inquest heard a transcript of a police interview in which he claimed he was not the owner of the dogs, although he had admitted owning them during court proceedings in 2016.

He told police: “Not once have them dogs ever been owned by me, except when I went into that courtroom.”

Recording a narrative conclusion, Mr Sigee said: “Miss Stanley died as a result of multiple dog bite injuries sustained when she was attacked by her two dogs within her home.”