Owner who tried frantically to save woman after his three dogs viciously mauled her breaks his silence about the ‘haunting’ day: ‘It will be with me for the rest of my life’
- Amanda Carmichael was killed by unregistered American Staffordshire X dogs
- Dogs’ owner George Cooksley said his ‘heart goes out to Ms Carmichael’s family’
- Cooksley, who was prosecuted by the local council, said it will haunt him forever
The owner of three dogs who mauled a mum-of-three to death has spoken about the ‘haunting’ day after he was found guilty of breaching animal safety laws.
Amanda Carmichael was killed by the unregistered American Staffordshire-cross dogs in Maryborough, Queensland in June 2021.
The dogs’ owner George Cooksley, who faced court on Friday over the incident, said his ‘heart goes out to her family’.
Cooksley, who was prosecuted by the Fraser Coast Regional Council, said what he saw will haunt him forever.
He was fined more than $17,000 and convicted on all the charges he faced.
George Cooksley (pictured) said his ‘heart goes out to’ the family of the woman his dogs killed
He reportedly hid his dogs – Tonka, Rebel and Magoo – in the back of a friend’s property to avoid them being found during an inspection of his social housing home.
When he went back for them he found Ms Carmichael had been attacked by his dogs, who were not desexed or microchipped, the Fraser Coast Chronicle reported.
She died before medical help arrived, and the dogs were put down later that day.
Cooksley cooperated with police, helping them to control the dogs after they had killed Ms Carmichael, the court heard.
‘Of my dogs, I think Tonka was the most aggressive,’ he reportedly told police.
Though Ms Carmichael had let herself into the backyard where she was attacked and killed, the court heard Cooksley could have done more to meet obligations around keeping dangerous dogs.
His lawyer, Travis George, said Cooksley gave first aid to Ms Carmichael.
Ms Carmichael (pictured) had sometimes been homelessness and suffered from drug abuse
Outside the court Cooksley said the incident would haunt him forever.
‘My heart goes out to her family – it was just a tragedy, that’s all,’ he said.
‘It will be with me for the rest of my life.’
Ms Carmichael – who had sometimes been homelessness and suffered from drug abuse – was described by her family and friends as a social person who loved to laugh.
The three dogs (one pictured above following the attack) were unregistered and had not been desexed
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