Woman faces jail for ordering pit bulls to attack house guest
Crown recommends 7 years after victim lost ear, endured 14 surgeries
A Sundre woman should go to prison for seven years for siccing two pit bull dogs on a house guest at her mobile home on Aug. 18, 2012, causing life- threatening injuries, a judge heard on Thursday.
Crown prosecutor Britta Kristensen told Court of Queen’s Bench Justice Jo’Ann Strekaf that the victim, Deanna Wolfe, lost an ear and could have been killed in the “unprovoked, senseless attack on a suspicion of infidelity” when Rita Phillip unleashed her dogs.
She also said Phillip has shown no remorse.
Stekaf convicted Phillip, 58, last year of aggravated assault and criminal negligence causing bodily harm to Wolfe, 28, who was staying with her at the time.
Defence lawyer Luke Faught argued that the 13 months Phillip has already spent in custody, at 1.5 to one credit, was sufficient penalty.
“This was completely out of character. She has no criminal record,” Faught told the judge. “Alcohol contributed to this. There was considerable drinking and Ms. Phillip was intoxicated.”
Phillip told Wolfe in court she was sorry for what happened and wished she could do something to help her.
Wolfe said outside court she didn’t buy the apology.
She said she has had 14 surgeries already and requires nine more surgeries.
She said she has considerable pain, has lost some feeling in both arms and not been able to work since the incident.
Strekaf said in convicting Phillip that she had no doubt the woman told the dogs to attack Wolfe and that Phillip then sat and watched while the dogs mauled her.
Wolfe also had chunks of flesh torn from her legs and other areas of her body during the attack.
Phillip and Wolfe had met twice at another woman’s home in Calgary, then Phillip invited her to stay at her Sundre mobile home. Everything seemed to be going well for nearly two weeks, but the friendship deteriorated after Wolfe’s former boyfriend, Goi Apay, arrived.
Wolfe testified Phillip told Apay about her alleged infidelity, which prompted Wolfe to tell Phillip she wanted to go back home to Calgary. It was then that an angry Phillip let the dogs out of their kennels and set them on the victim.
Phillip did not testify during the trial, but blamed Apay for releasing the dogs in a videotaped statement to an RCMP officer that was played in court.
Strekaf will pass sentence on Friday. It also could involve a prohibition on owning or possessing animals, court heard.