Court hears witnesses in dog mauling death: 'Part of her face was taken off'

A court has been told of the horrific injuries suffered by an elderly woman who was mauled to death by her grandson's pitbulls at her home last year.

95 year-old Inez Galea died of her injuries in September 2020 after being attacked by two pitbulls belonging to her grandson, Andre Galea, whilst at home in Msida. Galea is charged with involuntary homicide.

Magistrate Ian Farrugia heard Inspector Colin Sheldon explain how the police had been called by a distraught neighbour who heard the victim's screams. 

After being taken by the authorities, the dogs had also injured two animal welfare workers. The dangerous animals were later put down.

The victim's chihuahua also had to be put down due to the bites inflicted by the pit bulls.

Galea's lawyers, Gianluca Caruana Curran and Charles Mercieca, defended the accused, who sat with his head bowed in the dock for the entirety of the sitting.

Mercieca asked how the victim and the accused were related. "She was his grandmother," replied the inspector. "She owned the property and had passed on ownership of the next-door property to Galea. He would tell her not to open the yard door," recalled the inspector.

Mercieca asked if there was a certain closeness between the accused and the victim and if he would take care of her. "He would take care of her, but we noted that she had no electricity. The fuse was disconnected. In Andre's property, there was no furniture. What he had, there were ten pit bulls." Galea lived in Paola, added the inspector.

After the fatal incident, Galea had rehomed some of his dogs, the court was told. "He was devastated by the incident," said the inspector.

The court also heard Dr Alec Scerri, who was on his way to the Floriana Health Centre when he was paged to give assistance at Msida. "I entered the property behind the magistrate…there was a lot of blood on the floor. I saw the victim in a pool of blood in the yard, face down.

Part of her face was taken off…There was no sign of life. Part of her lower leg was also missing," said the doctor. He certified her as dead at the scene, he said.

The case will continue in November. 

Lawyers Charles Mercieca and Gianluca Caruana Curran are defence counsel.