A man who refused to attend his own trial for animal cruelty was found guilty in his absence for starving his dog and refusing to provide veterinary care, and could now face jail time.
His dog, Wilbur, died a few days after a neighbour found the severely weak and emaciated animal on the road not far from the home of his owner, Warlito Damasco Samelo Jr.
Appearing before the Summary Court, on Tuesday, 3 April, Samelo listened as Magistrate Philippa McFarlane informed him that his trial had proceeded in his absence the day before and had ended in his conviction.
Samelo had been due to stand trial for a single count of cruelty to an animal, which alleged that he caused the animal unnecessary pain and suffering by failing to provide the requisite food, shelter and veterinary care.
“You were called by a marshal of these courts who told you you were required to be at court, and you had the temerity to respond, ‘I have to work’,” said McFarlane. “What you are telling the court is you don’t care about these proceedings.”
She added, “I could have had you handcuffed and brought to court for your trial, but I chose to use my discretion and proceed with the trial in your absence.”
According to McFarlane, the worm-ridden, starved dog was the worse case of animal cruelty she had ever seen.
“The very fat from around the animal’s eyes and other parts of its head were gone,” said McFarlane. “The animal’s eyes were infected. It had heartworm and hookworm. There were worms in its faecal matter.
“And instead of giving the animal veterinary care by taking it to a vet, you refused, choosing instead to give the animal medicine from the Philippines.”
Wilbur was rescued after a neighbour found him in the Prospect region near Samelo’s home in October last year. Despite the efforts of animal charity One Dog at a Time and The Veterinary Clinic in Savannah, Wilbur died about two weeks later.
The dog’s death was met with public outrage and the launching of a petition calling for justice in wake of the news of the cruelty towards the animal, not long after Samelo was charged.
However, on the day of his trial, he was a no show, having told the court “he had to work”.
On Tuesday, Samelo offered the court an apology, and said he had forgotten the trial date.
“This is no laughing matter,” said McFarlane as she told Samelo to stop smirking.
She added that the next step in the process is sentencing, and informed him that he could face “a term of imprisonment for up to one year in light of the guilty conviction”.
Samelo, 48, a Filipino national, told the court that his work permit had expired in March, and he was now on an extension while he awaited the outcome of the trial.
He was released on bail and is expected to return to court in six weeks at which time he will be sentenced.
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RIP Wilbur
There is no other option than to jail this disgusting excuse for a human to set an example for others who insist on owning animals with no intention of caring for them. This has got to stop and it is unfortunately left to the prosecutors and the courts to stop this kind of animal neglect and cruelty.
Horrible as the whole case is, it really sickened me further to read that he did not show up for his trial and basically laughed it off! I hope the courts will do the right thing. A year in prison is nothing compared to the suffering he caused.