The Tribune

By JADE RUSSELL

Tribune Staff Reporter

jrussell@tribunemedia.net

A 73-year-old woman whose son’s dog mauled a three-year-old girl was taken into police custody for a second time this week and is expected to be charged with a crime, with her family claiming dementia caused her to leave the gate open and accusing officers of questioning her despite knowing she was not mentally coherent.

Rachel Morley was taken to Wulff Road Police Station on Wednesday over the September 9 attack that left three-year-old Skyla with head injuries requiring surgery.

Her nephew, Charlton Morley, said police interviewed his aunt without a relative or attorney present even though the family had already told officers that she suffers from early-stage dementia and Alzheimer’s.

“It was completely wrong, especially if you're informed,” Mr Morley said. “When you have that diminished mental capacity, they are like children because they still do those same things.”

He said Ms Morley does not understand the significance of what has happened.

“It hasn't dawned on her to me, the magnitude of what is going on,” Mr Morley said. “She doesn't even know about it.”

The family does not dispute that the dog escaped from the Ida Street property and attacked the child.

Mr Morley said his aunt was home alone when, as part of her longstanding routine, she went outside to sweep the yard. Because of her condition, he said, she left the gate open without realising it, allowing her son’s Belgian Malinois-German Shepherd mix to escape.

“Because of her condition, she’s already set in her ways and what she was doing for a long time,” Mr Morley said. “She'd come down every morning, sweep the yard. There's nothing there sometimes, and she still goes out and sweep the yard. In doing that, she left the gate open. That is how the dog got out.”

Mr Morley said the property has an enclosed gate, a six-foot fence with barbed wire and a lock on the gate. He argued that it was unrealistic for relatives to be present 100 percent of the time to supervise his aunt.

Wednesday was the second time police took Ms Morley into custody over the attack, according to her nephew.

Mr Morley said that on September 9, his cousin — the dog’s owner — called him from hospital and asked him to check on his mother after learning she had been taken into police custody.

He said he initially received little co-operation when he contacted the police station. He later called again and informed officers that his aunt had early-stage dementia and Alzheimer’s and told them about the medication she was taking.

Ms Morley was released without charge after spending about four hours in custody, he said.

On Wednesday, neighbours called the dog’s owner to tell him police had returned and taken his mother into custody again.

Mr Morley said he contacted police and explained that he was at work but would arrange for a relative to accompany his aunt to the station.

He later went home to change before travelling to the station, but had to return home after realising he did not have his identification.

When he eventually arrived, he said, police asked whether he was signing his aunt’s bail.

Mr Morley questioned why officers had already interviewed her when the family had told police someone would accompany her.

He said officers responded: “We already took care of that.”

“It's just frustrating,” Mr Morley said, “and they're supposed to be professionals. They're supposed to be able to use discretion and see and hear.”

He argued that police should be able to recognise when someone cannot provide coherent answers because of their mental state.

“Everybody's entitled to representation, and the police-they know that,” Mr Morley said. “That's their way of manipulating the system.”

Skyla’s mother, Bentika Lightbourne, however, doesn’t believe the family’s portrayal of Ms Morley’s mental state at the time of the attack.

Ms Lightbourne said she believed Ms Morley was in her right mind that day and recalled her hailing Skyla as mother and daughter walked past the house.

Asked about police action against the family, Ms Lightbourne said: “I wouldn’t say I'm happy, but I'm satisfied.”

“I can’t worry about them. I got to worry about my child.”

Ms Lightbourne said Skyla remains traumatised and suffers nightmares. She also said no member of the family has apologised to her over the attack.

Ms Lightbourne previously said she fought the dog with her bare hands to save her daughter.

Mr Morley said the dog’s owner was in hospital with congestive heart failure, kidney failure and fluid retention when the attack occurred. He claimed police knew about his cousin’s hospitalisation despite publicly calling for him to turn himself in. Mr Morley said his cousin was subsequently discharged from hospital because of a lack of bed space.

The dog’s owner turned himself in to police on Monday and was released on police bail because of his serious medical condition, according to Mr Morley.

Mr Morley said he had expected the matter to settle once his cousin, as the dog’s owner, turned himself in and did not anticipate further police action involving his aunt.