The mother of a man who was mauled to death by an XL Bully he was dog-sitting is demanding someone take accountability.
Scott Samson’s remains were discovered alongside the dog in the blood-soaked living room of his home in Rutherglen in South Lanarkshire, Scotland, on March 15 last year.
The XL Bully, named Mitch, belongs to Neal Stark, 37, who had given it to a friend when he was jailed for drug offences in February 2025.
The friend then asked Mr Samson to look after the dog while he went on holiday.
A post-mortem was unable to determine whether he was killed by the dog or if he died of natural causes before it mauled his body.
Mr Samson’s mother Morag said police did not tell her he had been attacked by the dog when his body was discovered, and instead said he died from an accidental drug overdose – leaving her confused when an undertaker said she would not be able to see his body and he would need a closed coffin.
‘I didn’t even get to give my son a final kiss or a cuddle to say goodbye and I didn’t even know why,’ she told the Daily Record.
Morag, 60, also from Rutherglen, said her son was ‘dead within days of picking the dog up’.
Scott Samson’s remains were discovered alongside an XL Bully he was dog-sitting in the living room of his home in Rutherglen in South Lanarkshire, Scotland (pictured: Mr Samson)
The XL Bully, named Mitch, belongs to Neal Stark, 37, who had given it to a friend when he was jailed for drug offences in February 2025
She ‘knew something was wrong’ when she hadn’t heard from Mr Samson and decided to call the police.
When she entered the property with officers, they found the dog in the hallway and could see his legs and his black shorts in the living room.
Morag said dog catchers were unable to remove the aggressive XL Bully from the house, meaning it was left in the room with Mr Samson’s body for another 13 hours during which time she believes it continued to attack him, targeting his ‘private parts’.
‘To think they left my son lying in a blood soaked room, locked up with that dog for hours after what it had done to him makes me feel sick,’ she said.
She said her final goodbye to her son at his funeral in April, but only found out the brutal truth of what happened when she received the post-mortem report a week later.
The cause of Mr Samson’s death was inconclusive due to the extent of the damage done to his body.
A pathologist told her all that was left of her son’s face were his eyeballs, which leaves her laying in bed at night wondering what happened to her ‘beautiful and kind’ son in that living room.
Morag was reeling with anger when she learnt no one will be prosecuted over her son’s death and police have spent thousands of pounds keeping the XL Bully in kennels since the attack.
Mr Samson pictured as a boy with his sister Lisa. A post-mortem was unable to determine whether he was killed by the dog or if he died of natural causes before it mauled his body
The grieving mother said the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) told her there isn’t enough evidence to prosecute the dog’s owner, despite the animal being confirmed by experts as an XL Bully and found to be unregistered – a legal requirement for the banned breed.
She said: ‘This XL bully ate my son. This evil monster dog ate his face, his throat, his tongue and other parts of his body. And nearly a year on from his death, I’m told the dog is being “well cared for” by police in kennels.’
She questioned why the ‘devil dog’ is still alive, why no one is being held accountable, and why they are ‘protecting’ the dog that ‘ate’ her son.
Four-year-old Mitch has been staying at one of only three kennels in Scotland which boards seized XL Bullys.
Police Scotland do not have officers who are trained to identify banned XL Bully dogs, leaving the force to rely on dog legislation officers from other areas of the UK to assist with prosecutions.
They had to bring in a specialist from Cumbria to carry out the identification test, which confirmed Mitch to be an XL Bully, in July.
Mr Samson’s mother has since lodged a complaint with Police Scotland.
It is now understood a destruction order has been issued and the dog faces being put down, according to the Daily Record.
His mother, pictured, is demanding justice and for someone to take accountability
Scottish Conservative shadow minister for community safety Sharon Dowey MSP said: ‘This deeply troubling case exposes serious failures in how dangerous dogs are dealt with in Scotland, leaving families devastated and police tied up with costly, drawn-out processes.
‘SNP ministers were far too slow to act on XL Bullies, and this failure has left communities less safe while taxpayers foot the bill.
‘Police and prosecutors need the powers, clarity and resources to act decisively, and SNP ministers must urgently explain why that is still not happening.’
A spokesperson for the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service said: ‘Having carefully examined all the circumstances surrounding the death, investigations are now concluded.’
A Police Scotland spokesperson said: ‘We have received a complaint, which is currently under investigation, and it will be responded to in due course.’
