#MostEvil | Charlene Elaine Latham, born 22 March 1988, of Wild Wood B&B, 15 St Brannocks Road, Ilfracombe EX34 8EG – tried to drown a dog in a freezing river
Charlene Latham pleaded guilty to attempting to drown elderly Belgian shepherd Bella in the the River Trent near Lincoln.
The dog’s lead was attached to a carrier bag tied to a large rock. She was rescued by passer-by Jane Harper after she was discovered struggling and submerged in the water near Long Lane in Farndon near Newark on January 6, 2020.
Latham, then of Newark, Nottinghamshire, was arrested by police alongside partner Leigh Craig Johnson, born 28 November 1987, previously of Worksop and now of 35 Yew Tree Road, Retford DN22 8AY. Johnson denied the charge and the case against him was discontinued.
The RSPCA were criticised for not pursuing the case against Leigh Johnson despite Latham naming him in her statement as the person that had thrown the dog into the river. The charity determined that there was insufficient evidence for a realistic prospect of conviction against Johnson, so magistrates agreed to the withdrawal of the charge against him.
After being widely named on social media in the aftermath of the incident, Johnson and Latham were escorted from their Newark home by poli and into hiding in a Devon B&B, such was the public revulsion at what had happened to Bella.
The couple were jointly charged with the attempted drowning of Bella on January 6, 2020.
Harry Bowyer, prosecuting, said Bella was found by dog walkers at around 8.20am with her head on a concrete plinth with the rest of her body submerged in the freezing January waters. A portion of her lead was attached around her neck to an Aldi bag containing a rock weighing 34.7kg that had weighted her to the river bed.
A dog walker waded into the river to pull Bella out. At the vets, her temperature was too low for a thermometer to read.
She was also found to be underweight and had a matted coat.
Mr Bowyer said police attended Latham’s address and she opened the door, phone in hand, to say that she was just ringing the police as Bella was missing.
Latham’s daughter told police that her mother and mother’s partner had gone out the previous evening at 9.20pm with Bella, but she was unable to say whether the dog returned with them.
Latham was borrowing a friend’s car at the time and found in it was the remainder of the severed lead that had been used to weigh Bella down.
Mr Chignell, mitigating for Latham, said his client was five months pregnant at the time and could not have thrown Bella into the river herself.
Latham had pleaded guilty at the earliest opportunity on the basis of a failure to safeguard Bella’s welfare rather than any involvement in her attempted drowning. Mr Chignell described what happened to Bella at Nottingham Magistrates’ Court as an awful case and awful treatment of an animal and genuine unpleasant cruelty, but not cruelty by her.
“Her role was limited,” he said.
He said Johnson and Latham had driven to the river but Latham had no idea what Johnson intended to do and had begged him not to drown Bella.
“I am concerned to hear the RSPCA is not proceeding against the person she named in her statement,” he said
“The RSPCA, it appears now have decided that they are not going to try him as they are not obtaining the evidence to try him.
“The case was adjourned so he could have his trial.”
Of Johnson, he said: “He is someone who is aggressive and controlling in that relationship, she’s not.
“These are very different people with very different roles.
“As a result only one person is going to take the fall for this.
“The reality is the person convicted of this heinous offence is not here and that’s not her fault.”
Mr Chignell said his client accepted she should have got immediate help for Bella when she went back to the car or afterwards.
He argued his client had suffered greatly already as a result of the abuse she had suffered on social media and suggested a conditional discharge.
The 11-year-old dog has remained at the RSPCA Radcliffe Animal Centre in Nottingham since the incident as she has complex veterinary needs.
She has however been completely transformed from the dog who almost didn’t make it to the bouncy elderly girl she is now.
Ella Carpenter, manager at Radcliffe Animal Centre said after the case that they are now desperate to find Bella a loving new home.
The home would need to be in the vicinity of the Radcliffe Centre.
Ella said: “We are both proud and privileged to have cared for Bella over the past fourteen months.
“At times we thought she just wouldn’t make it, with her age and underlying health conditions all against her. But Bella has fought every day, showing enviable strength and courage, not wanting to give up her fight to recover.
“We hope that she will now be able to live out the rest of her life with the love and respect that she has always deserved and are looking for that special forever home for Bella.”
The incident prompted over 165,000 people to call for tougher sentences and justice for Bella.
Sentencing | 12-month community order; ordered to pay a total of £312. Disqualified from keeping dogs for three years (expires March 2024).
