By Sarah McPhee
This story contains the image and name of a deceased Indigenous person.
A man suffered more than 80 wounds when he was fatally mauled by two dogs in an “attack of extreme ferocity” after bravely trying to save a woman and girl, an inquest has heard.
Colin Amatto, 40, was attacked on January 24, 2019, inside a home at Tregear, in Sydney’s west, where he lived with his schoolfriend David Murray, Murray’s wife Laura Graham and an infant girl.
Colin Amatto died after a dog attack in January 2019.Credit: Facebook
The family had three dogs: a six-year-old male called Boof and a female named Hope, both microchipped as Staffordshire bull terriers, and a 16-year-old named Baby, said to be a Staffordshire bull cross, who was not involved in the attack. On Monday, an inquest into Amatto’s death heard he had got on well with the dogs, and they would sleep with him at night.
Amatto’s former partner and her two daughters were visiting the Tregear property at the time, counsel assisting the coroner, David Kell, SC, said in his opening remarks.
He said there was likely to be a conflict in the evidence over whether Hope and Boof were put in the backyard before Murray and Graham left the home that day.
“Either the two younger dogs were already in the house, not having been put out the back, or by some means they had got back inside the house,” he said.
One of the sedated dogs is taken from the property.Credit: Seven News
About 1pm, one of the dogs – “seemingly Boof” – bit one of the visiting girls on her abdomen and back, causing her to scream, Kell said. Her mother tried to help and was bitten on her right forearm.
“In brave fashion, Colin intervened to try to help,” Kell said.
Amatto’s former partner and her daughters managed to leave the home through the front door, which shut and locked, leaving him inside.
“Boof then savagely attacked Colin. Thereafter, the other dog [Hope] joined in the attack,” Kell said.
“It was an attack of extreme ferocity.”
When Murray and Graham arrived home, one of the girls told them “the dogs had mauled everyone”.
The owners saw the dogs in the hallway “covered in blood” and secured them in the bathroom. There was blood on the lounge room floor, walls and kitchen door. Amatto was on the kitchen floor, also covered in blood, and stated, “I can’t breathe”, before he lost consciousness.
“The two dogs inflicted extremely serious injuries on Colin with multiple bite wounds all over his body including his neck, torso and limbs,” Kell said.
He said Amatto “suffered over 80 wounds” and had multiple surgeries but did not regain consciousness in intensive care. In consultation with his family, his life support was turned off on March 1, 2019.
“He died in tragic circumstances when he intervened to assist other persons from what was a ferocious dog attack,” Kell said. “It is apparent that [Colin’s former partner] and her two children are fortunate to be alive.”
Speaking outside the NSW Coroner’s Court at Lidcombe, Kristy Amatto said she was “very proud” of her brother and that it had been a “really tough five years” since he died.
“I don’t want to see any other victims and I don’t want to have to see any other families live through the trauma that we have,” she said. “Looking after other people was just in his nature.”
She hoped the inquest would look at dog breeds and any “commonality” between them to aid attack prevention and keep people safe.
Boof and Hope were euthanised the day after the attack.
The inquest heard that in July 2017, 18 months before the fatal mauling, Boof had “savagely attacked” a 65-year-old property manager at his owners’ previous address in Werrington.
Barry Grant told the inquest he had bent down to pat a “friendly” brown dog before Boof appeared and jumped up, latched onto his arm and pulled.
“He didn’t attack me below the knees. He was jumping up and going for my throat,” Grant said. “I realised I was in serious trouble. That’s when I started screaming.”
Grant, whose clothes were torn off during the ordeal, armed himself with a broom, while a teenage neighbour ran over and tried to stop the dog with a plastic chair.
“Until it happens, you don’t realise how terrifying it is,” Grant said. “I feel very sorry for the man they killed.”
Authorities in 2017 determined no offence had been committed, as the dog was in defence of its property, and Boof was released from the pound to his owners, who paid a $55 fee to have him registered.
Kell said questions arose over whether Grant had partly or wholly entered the rear of the property and whether that should be of any significance. More broadly, the inquest will examine the seizure powers of council and police, decision-making when multiple agencies are involved, and the scope or limitations of legislation.
Kell said no criminal charges have been laid over the attack on Amatto and his subsequent death.
Deputy State Coroner Carmel Forbes is overseeing an inquest into seven fatal dog attacks including the death of a two-year-old boy at a motel in the Central West and a five-week-old baby boy at his home on the Central Coast. A smoking ceremony was held before proceedings on Monday for Amatto, who was a Yuin man.
The inquest continues.