A jack russell terrier named Satine lost a leg in the attack. Stock picture
Camera IconA jack russell terrier named Satine lost a leg in the attack. Stock picture Credit: Supplied/Getty Images/iStockphoto

Dog attack: Rockingham mother and son have sentencing adjourned again

Gabrielle JefferyWeekend Kwinana Courier

A MOTHER and son whose dogs tore the leg off a neighbour’s dog have had their sentencing hearing adjourned again after an appeal to call for more witnesses.

Stephanie Joanne McGlew and Ward Glenn Rohan were due to be sentenced at Rockingham Magistrates Court today after a lengthy court process that has been ongoing for more than a year.

It also means the pair’s pound bill to the City of Rockingham, and hence ratepayers, will be $18,660 by that time.

PerthNow Digital Edition.
Your local paper, whenever you want it.

Get in front of tomorrow's news for FREE

Journalism for the curious Australian across politics, business, culture and opinion.

READ NOW

In July 2017 they pleaded guilty to four charges between them of having control of a dog that chased a person or animal and caused injury, and failure to register a dog.

Later that year they launched a successful appeal against their sentence where Magistrate Leanne Atkins ordered the dogs be euthanised and included $13,000 in fines and costs.

Their lawyer Samud Hemachandra requested a trial date as they wanted to call eight more witnesses – four dog behavioural experts and four lay witnesses.

Prosecutor for the City of Rockingham Adam Hammond requested an earlier date for the hearing.

Magistrate Vivien Edwards said the only dates that were available were in the second half of 2019.

She agreed to send the matter to Perth for an earlier listing.

Ms Hemachandra rejected a date in September and later accepted November 27 at Perth Magistrates Court.

McGlew and Rohan’s lawyer is being paid for by the City because of the successful appeal they launched.

Since their dogs were seized they have been in the City’s dog pound at a cost to ratepayers of $30 a day, bringing those costs alone to $14,070 as of today.

It does not include the original fines of $1700 for Rohan and McGlew’s $1200 and combined court and vet costs of $10,213.84 between them.

The attacked dog, Satine, survived but its leg could not be saved.

Rohan is the owner of Nugget, a brindle-coloured bull terrier and McGlew the owner of Gypsy, a white bull terrier.

The charges resulted when in the early hours of February 3, 2017 an elderly Cooloongup pensioner was woken about 3am to sounds of distress from his jack russell terrier, Satine.

The pensioner went outside to find Satine in Nugget’s mouth.

Fearing for his dog’s and his own safety he yelled and threw things at Nugget in a bid to get it to let go of Satine

Nugget eventually let go and ran away.

He called the rangers and took his dog immediately to a vet.

Later the pensioner was in his backyard collecting his dog’s body parts when Gypsy ran towards him in an aggressive state snarling and growling.

Gypsy then charged and chased after the pensioner as he ran back inside his house with Gypsy repeatedly throwing itself against the back door of the man’s home.

The pensioner again called the rangers who returned to find Gypsy still acting in a highly aggressive manner.

The rangers eventually subdued the dog and both dogs were impounded.

MORE: Company fined $160,000 over WA deaths

MORE: Perth’s sunny weather set to stay for another week

MORE: Your guide to watching the Royal Wedding on TV