THE owner of two staghounds that brutally attacked five people in Wagga on Christmas Eve has been fined more than $4000.
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Brenden Callaway, 34, who represented himself in Wagga Local Court yesterday, told Magistrate Brian Van Zuylen he wanted to face the situation and make apologies to the victims of the attacks.
“I want to apologise to everyone that it happened to,” he said.
“I am deeply sorry for everything.”
Callaway’s female and male staghounds attacked five people on Christmas Eve. The worst attack was on their fourth victim, Vickie McCully, who had to undergo surgery to repair nerve damage in her leg and arm which required more than 200 sutures after she was dragged off her motorbike and 10 metres down her driveway.
The four-year-old female and eight-year-old male dogs attacked four other victims, including Mrs McCully’s son Ben, leaving them with puncture wounds to the legs, arms, hands and torso.
The male dog was asphyxiated as police tried to hold it back from the attack, with Callaway later surrendering the female to be put down.
Mr Van Zuylen said he had no choice but to hand down the maximum penalty available only allowing for bare minimum concessions.
“You’re extremely lucky they didn’t kill anyone,” he said.
“What appalling behaviour by your animals.”
Callaway was fined $3860 and ordered to pay $486 in court costs for two counts of not identifying a companion animal, two counts of not registering a companion animal and two counts of not having a tag on collar.
Callaway’s mother, 52-year-old Tolland woman Julie Anne Callaway has also faced court in relation to the attacks. It is alleged she was caring for the staghounds while her son was away when they escaped from his South Parade home.
She is due to appear before court on Wednesday, May 2 for 10 counts of being in charge of a dog that attacks a person and two counts of not preventing a dog escaping.
She is expected to enter a plea then.