Two women did nothing to stop an old army veteran from being killed. They didn’t even break a sweat, and his death was all their fault. Now, decide for yourself if justice was served.
Hayley Sulley, 30, and Della Woods, 29, have proven themselves to be horrible human beings in more ways than one. Sadly, an elderly army veteran paid the price for the despicable behavior of these women, all because he was unfortunate enough to live near them when they decided to starve their dog Charlie for two days.
After the women left the large canine, which hadn’t had anything to eat or drink in two days, outside to swelter in the heat on a hot day without shade, food, or water, an unknowing neighbor was literally eaten alive by the animal. Sully and Woods had ignored Charlie, allowing him to run around their yard freely. Then, when a neighbor opened his door, the hungry dog ran at the man, mauling him to death after the crazed canine had escaped its yard.
Retired hospital porter Clifford Clarke, who had just celebrated his 79th birthday the day before, was attacked by the Presa Canario breed in his own Liverpool backyard after he opened his back door to air out his kitchen as he cooked a meal, according to the Independent. After the vicious attack, it was discovered that Charlie was so hungry, in the hours before he killed Clarke, the dog attempted to eat a plastic bowl, bird seed, and even some cigarette butts.
Prior to the incident, neighbors reported seeing the dog behaving in a dangerous manner. One neighbor who saw Charlie “snarling” and “foaming at the mouth” called Liverpool council’s dog wardens but was told it would take four hours for them to respond to the call, according to Mirror. Not long after the call, Charlie found Clarke’s open back door.
Neighbors soon heard screams coming from Clarke’s home as he yelled, “Get off me.” Horrified, one neighbor witnessed the pensioner being dragged out of his back door and mauled by the dog. He called the police, but when armed officers arrived, it was too late.
Another witness compared it to watching “a horror film,” while a police officer said it was the “worst thing I had ever seen.” Although police shot the dog dead, Clarke had already been savagely eaten alive by the ravenous animal, with the dog having literally “amputated” the victim’s left arm and his right arm only “hanging by a thread.”
Clarke was transported to a hospital only to be pronounced dead. Shockingly, officers said the dog was so starved and agitated that, when they arrived, it not only jumped 6 feet and tried to bite the end of the rifle used to kill it, it also got back up and tried to attack again after being shot once. It was then shot a second time and killed, Liverpool Echo reported.
“I am satisfied this dreadful and forceful attack on Mr. Clarke was entirely avoidable,” Judge Mark Brown told Hayley Sulley and Della Woods in court as the brutal killing was described during proceedings. “Mr. Clarke was literally eaten alive by Charlie when large amounts of tissue were ingested by the dog, and that is a very shocking, appalling, and tragic event. Mr. Clarke suffered a horrific death, and you have taken away from his family the love and companionship he would have provided.”
Hayley Sulley and Della Woods, who wept in court, both pleaded guilty to three counts of causing unnecessary suffering to a dog. They also admitted to breaching the Dangerous Dogs Act. However, the Presa Canario, which originated in Spain’s Canary Islands, was not banned where they lived. It is, however, renowned as a large, powerful breed.
“This was a vicious attack on a defenseless man who was powerless to fight back against this large and powerful dog,” Prosecutor Gary Simpson said. “The guilty pleas of these two women have thankfully brought this case to a relatively speedy conclusion and have saved Mr. Clarke’s relatives the ordeal of a trial,” Simpson added.
“Hayley Sulley and Della Woods were both responsible for the dog’s welfare and behavior on that fateful day,” the prosecutor declared. “Their failure to make sure the dog was cared for and under control has led to a man’s death and they must now come to terms with that. Our thoughts are with the family of Mr. Clarke at this sad time.”
