Man charged after fatal dog attack in Rowley Regis

It happened in April 2021

Author: Claire EmmsPublished 20th Mar 2023
Last updated 20th Mar 2023

A man has been charged after an elderly woman was killed in a dog attack.

Lucille Downer, 85, died after being attacked by two American bulldogs in the back garden of her home in Boundary Avenue, Rowley Regis, near Birmingham, on April 2 2021.

West Midlands Police said at the time that Ms Downer suffered "multiple" injuries in the "sustained" attack 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".

Darren Pritchard, 44, has now been charged with being the owner or person in charge of two dogs dangerously out of control causing injury resulting in death, police said on Monday.

Pritchard, of Merrivale Road, Smethwick, has also been charged with possession with intent to supply cannabis, and production of cannabis, and will appear at Dudley Magistrates' Court on Tuesday.

The dogs were humanely destroyed after the incident.

Hear all the latest news from across the West Midlands on the hour, every hour, on 103.1 and 97.2FM (Wolverhampton, Black Country and Shropshire), 96.4FM (Birmingham), 97 and 102.9FM (Coventry and Warwickshire), 97.6FM, 102.8FM and 96.7FM (Herefordshire and Worcestershire), DAB, at freeradio.co.uk, and on the Free Radio app.