Palmerston dog attack: Owner George Triantafilos Cotis faces court after animal savages child

A dog had ‘never shown any signs of aggression’ before he latched onto a 10-year-old’s head in a suburban Top End living room as the child screamed for help. Now the owner has fronted court.

A Staffordshire Bull Terrier similar to the one that attacked a 10-year-old in Palmerston in September. Picture: iStock

A Top End dog trainer’s beloved staffie will be put down next year after the previously docile animal suddenly and viciously attacked a 10-year-old boy.

Bellamack man George Triantafilos Cotis, 22, pleaded guilty in the Darwin Local Court on Tuesday to keeping an unregistered dog and owning a dog that attacked a person following the incident in September.

City of Palmerston prosecutor James Stuchbery said the victim and his older sister had been staying with their brother, Cotis’s housemate, when the woman and child were left alone with the dog.

“(The boy) crouched down to pat Leo while Leo was sitting on the floor,” he said.

“As (he) made contact, Leo jumped on top of (him) and began biting and scratching (him).

“Upon hearing (his) screams, (the boy’s sister) ran into the living room and sighted Leo on top of (him) with (his) head inside Leo’s mouth.”

Mr Stuchbery said the woman was able to separate the dog from the boy but he was left with multiple scratch and puncture wounds to his head and face, and was now unable to spend time with his own dog and had trouble sleeping as a result of the attack.

He said it was “a very serious dog attack” with “very serious implications” for the child, and the council had since determined to destroy the animal, with Cotis electing not to appeal the decision.

“(Due to) the increasing prevalence of dog attacks within the City of Palmerston municipality, council’s clearly adopted a policy position that dog attacks in particular will be essentially brought to court for the primary purpose of ensuring deterrence,” he said.

Defence lawyer, Samara Carroll, said Leo had “never shown any signs of aggression before”, and “there was some confusion” about who would pay its registration fees after Cotis moved out of the family home.

She said Cotis “feels very remorseful for (the boy)” and “wishes (him) and his family a quick recovery”.

“(He) has apologised for the entire incident,” she said.

“He states that he couldn’t imagine how the situation has affected (the boy) and his family and he wishes him nothing but the best going forward.”

In handing Cotis a 12-month good behaviour bond, judge Alan Woodcock said he was “a man of hitherto good character” and the “family pet”, which had never been aggressive before, would now be destroyed.

“The child who was attacked by the dog was a guest at this residence, a vulnerable child, and the consequences for the child are severe and ongoing,” he said.

“All in all, a sad and upsetting event for all concerned.”