Man charged over fatal dog attack on pensioner

Darren Pritchard will appear at Dudley Magistrates’ Court on Tuesday.

Published Mar 20, 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”.

Several tributes were left at the scene following the attack, including one which said — Several tributes were left at the scene following the attack on Lucille Downer, including one which said ‘RIP Nan’ (Jacob King/PA)

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.