Man admits being in charge of dogs which caused death of pensioner

A dog owner has admitted being in charge of two American bulldogs which killed a pensioner after escaping through a hole in a fence into a neighbouring property.

Darren Pritchard pleaded guilty on Tuesday to an offence under the Dangerous Dogs Act, possessing cannabis with intent to supply and producing the drug at an address in the street where Lucille Downer, 85, was pronounced dead.

The 44-year-old, of Merrivale Road, Smethwick, West Midlands, made the admissions during an appearance at Wolverhampton Crown Court and was warned he is likely to be jailed when he is sentenced on May 15.

Pritchard was allowed more than two hours to speak to his barrister outside the courtroom before admitting a charge stating that he was the owner or in charge of two dogs which were “dangerously out of control” causing injury, resulting in the death of Mrs Downer at her home in Boundary Avenue, Rowley Regis, near Birmingham.

Mrs Downer, a retired cook, was pronounced dead at the scene on April 2 2021.

West Midlands Police said at the time that Mrs Downer suffered “multiple” injuries after the dogs escaped from a neighbouring property through a hole in a fence, with her family saying in a statement that they would “miss her dearly”.

During a brief hearing before Judge Michael Chambers KC, Pritchard spoke only to confirm his name and his guilty pleas.

Granting Pritchard conditional bail, Judge Chambers told him: “You have had the courage to plead guilty to these matters and you will get appropriate credit (for pleading guilty) in due course.

“But they are clearly serious matters which cross the custodial threshold so you should be under no illusion as to the likely sentence.”

The facts of the case were not opened by prosecutor Howard Searle during the hearing, which was told Pritchard had been “out of trouble since 2013” at the time of Mrs Downer’s death.

Police have said the dogs were humanely destroyed after the incident.

An inquest held previously was told Mrs Downer was found in her back garden.

A forensic post-mortem examination was carried out and the medical cause of death was found to be a neck injury caused by a dog bite.