7 News Belize

Pitbull Owners Charged For causing Death
posted (June 22, 2010)
The owners of the two pitbulls which attacked Edmund Spain on May 31st, and are being blamed for his death, were arraigned today in Magistrate's court. Shelda Patnett and Leon Lopez were charged with Manslaughter by Negligence, Causing death by careless conduct and keeping an unmuzzled ferocious dog.

Sixty five year old Edmund Spain was viciously attacked by his neighbor's two dogs while walking home. The dogs, a 2 year old male and an 18 month old female pitbull, are said to have escaped from the couple's fenced yard from a breached area and mauled their victim at a spot estimated to be 93 feet outside of the couple's gated home. Hattieville police who responded to the incident arrived on the scene to find Spain badly bitten by the dogs. After a number of gunshots were fired into the air, the pitbulls retreated into the yard. Spain who was treated at the KHMH, died one week later. Today, the couple who posted bail of $4,000.00 each turned down our request for an interview, but the distraught sister of Shelda Patnett told us she believes the charges are unfair and unwarranted.

Jim McFadzean
"Give me a comment about how you feel about the charge."

Deborah Frazer, Sister of Shelda Patnett
"To me it's unfair because she doesn't deserve it and then she expects if they were to do anything with her dog, she is willing to give up her dog."

Jim McFadzean
"I know she is taking it quite seriously."

Deborah Frazer
"Yea, she have to because it not like something that she was expecting that the man was to die. Anyway you know so she really feel bad about it."

Jim McFadzean
"Is she intending on getting an attorney to represent her?"

Deborah Frazer
"Yes sir. She will try to get one."

Jim McFadzean
"And she is willing to give up the dogs?"

Deborah Frazer
"Anytime I mean she take it hard for the man, she really feel bad about what happen to the man. Because she gives all her best, she is there every day with him up to the last day she was there with that man. It was surprising to her that the man succumbed to his death."

Jim McFadzean
"The brother of Mr. Spain had made a statement to the effect that your sister and Leon had not reached out to the family, did not offer any compensation."

Deborah Frazer
"Well that part I really can't say, but from the day this incident happen he is the first person Shelda had call and inform what happen to his brother. Otherwise from the other things Shelda don't have a phone number for the man where he was staying in Belize to get in touch with him. The moment he made that complaint to the police station, she did not try to get in touch with him because we thought at least he could have come and get in touch with her because she only had the US phone number for the brother, she don't have anything else."

Jim McFadzean
"And she is still willing to reach out to him?"

Deborah Frazer
"Whenever yes, she is willing."

Jim McFadzean
"You want to comment on that because he said there was no such reaching out at the hospital."

Deborah Frazer
"She called those people every day. The brother especially, she got in touch with the brother everyday and inform them about his condition. The doctor had told us that the man was to be released in two days time."

Jim McFadzean
"So your sister did go to the hospital?"

Deborah Frazer
"She is there 24/7 everyday she even take her lunch break there. Sometime I have to tell Shelda why are you still going there because the doctor already explain to you, it's not like Mr. Spain will die and she still went up to the Thursday and Friday, I am not sure of the day but she was there. Then the Saturday they call her and told her that Mr. Spain had died. She cannot believe that Mr. Spain had died. She is really sorry about it though. She is taking it really hard and she doesn't know what else is there that she can do. She want to get in touch with the family but she can't because she don't know where that are and she only has the US number for the brother."

The two dogs are still in the custody of their owners. According to Frazer, her sister and fiancé are seeking to hire an Attorney to represent them. They are due back in court on the 7th of next month.

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