A judge in Brossard has found Karim Jean-Gilles guilty of criminal negligence causing bodily harm after his dog mauled a 7-year-old girl in 2015.

During the two-day trial Crown prosecutor Claudie Gilbert called a dozen witnesses who described the attack that punctured Vanessa Biron's skull and caused permanent damage to her face and hand.

“We feel satisfied about this verdict. This is the verdict we were hoping to get,” said her father, Bernard Biron.

Vanessa had just arrived in the park when two dogs, described by witnesses as being pit bulls, ran up to her. One of them bit her head and tried to drag her away.

"Her brain got infected because her skull was crushed in the back and the saliva of the dog infected her system," said Biron.

Following the verdict, Biron told the judge some of the problems that Vanessa continues to struggle with. He said his daughter still sees a psychologist.

“She's going to be scarred for life physically, and psychologically. She has a paralysis that will be permanent on part of her face,” he said, adding that his wife still has nightmares. “She has been traumatized. She honestly thought my daughter was dead.”

Judge Pierre Belisle said that Jean-Gilles clearly did not take his responsibilities as a dog owner seriously because he did not have a leash, collars, and was not able to keep his dogs in his yard.

Belisle said it was clear from testimony that the dogs were aggressive and had left Jean-Gilles's yard repeatedly.

During the trial witnesses described how Jean-Gilles arrived two minutes after the attack began and was able to drag the dog off Vanessa.

The judge said that showed that Jean-Gilles was at his home next to the park when the dogs were outside.

Jean-Gilles represented himself in court. He did not question any of the Crown's witnesses and did not call any witnesses.

Jean-Gilles's mother, Hyacinth Parker, was walking the dogs prior to the attack.

In October she was found guilty of criminal negligence causing bodily harm and sentenced to three years of probation, 240 hours of community service, and ordered to donate $2,000 to Ste. Justine Hospital.

The dogs were euthanized after the attack.

“Two and a half years later, he doesn't seem to have thought much about his responsibility for what happened that day,” said Gilbert.

After delivering the verdict, the judge gave Jean-Gilles a chance to speak, but he refused.

“I would have appreciated to hear some sort of empathy, some sort of feeling of sadness, but I was not expecting it,” said Biron.

Gilbert said it was an unusual case.

“He asked for a trial then posed no questions and presented no defence. It’s exceptional,” she said.

Sentencing arguments took place immediately after the verdict, with the Crown asking for Jean-Gilles to spend three years in prison. The maximum sentence is 10 years in prison.

Judge Belisle said he will deliver the sentence on March 23.