Farrier Lee Ellis, 55, of Blacker Lane, Calder Grove, Wakefield, has been charged with the manslaughter of James Judge, also 55. Mr Judge died after being bitten on a footpath just seconds from Ellis's home, the court heard. Ellis is also charged with being the "owner or person in charge of a dog dangerously out of control causing injury resulting in death".
Court appearance
Ellis appeared in the glass-lined dock at Bradford Magistrates' Court on Monday just before noon, escorted by one prison officer and spoke only to confirm his name and address. He was wearing a grey sweatshirt and gave his name as Lee Richard Ellis and date of birth as 19/6/1971 and address as Blacker Lane.
He appeared distraught, shaking his head, as the charge was put to him. Ellis kept his hands behind his back, was unshaven and taking deep breaths as the court heard he was out walking his two dogs when there was an "altercation" with Mr Judge. As he sat, he leaned forward to hear what was being said and was given tissues as he sat crying.
Incident details
The court heard the defendant recorded the incident and passed the recording to the police. West Yorkshire Police were called to an altercation on the old railway line footpath off Blacker Lane in the Calder Grove area of Wakefield on Saturday afternoon. A German Shepherd dog was seized as part of this investigation and continues to be held in police kennels.
Detectives said they had identified and spoken to two other people who stopped to help the injured man at the scene following the incident at about 1.30pm. The family of Mr Judge are being supported by specially trained officers.
Next steps
The court heard Ellis will next appear at Leeds Crown Court on September 16 to enter a plea. He was granted bail despite it being a "very serious offence". Mr Rob Fones from Switalski's solicitors represented Ellis in court.
Ellis bought his agricultural property for £5,000 in 2002 and renovated it with his ex-wife. The former couple renovated the bungalow themselves, building huge stables next to it. He is a keen farrier and frequently posts videos showing him taking care of horse hooves and attending agricultural shows.
