Last updated at 08:51, Friday, 24 April 2009

THE partner of a Workington man who died along with his two dogs has spoken of her grief and anger.

Gerald Mitchell, known as Ged, 62, collapsed on a path off Solway Road at the Clay Flatts Industrial Estate on Friday, March 13.

Paramedics were called but they could not get near Mr Mitchell, of Shore Road, Salterbeck, as his rottweilers Bob and Titan were guarding him.

A police marksman shot Bob while Titan ran to a nearby garden where he was shot with a stun gun.

The dog was later put down because of his aggressive behaviour.

Mr Mitchell’s partner of five years Jo Harrison, 43, of South William Street, Workington, was walking along Murray Road when she heard that Mr Mitchell had died and said she fell to the floor in shock.

She said: “I was left absolutely devastated when I was told that Ged had died. Hearing the news that your partner has died is the worst phone call you will ever have. I loved him with all my heart. Family members told me that when we were together it was like Ged was my shadow. We were just always together.”

Miss Harrison defended the dogs’ actions and said she was angry with the authorities for the way they handled the situation.

She said: “Those two dogs were not vicious and would never hurt anyone.

“They were only doing what they were brought up to do and that was protect Ged.

“I have a two-and-a-half-year-old granddaughter, who has been left alone with those dogs and they have never, ever gone to hurt her.

“They were gentle animals and for the police to shoot them is absolutely ridiculous. They could have found me, they could have tried other methods to move them away from Ged but they took the easy option.

“It was totally needless for them to destroy our dogs. They were out of order.”

Miss Harrison said that a week after Mr Mitchell’s remembrance service at Distington Crematorium she took an overdose as losing her partner became too much for her.

She said: “I was finding it so hard to cope with it all. I ended up spending two days in the West Cumberland Hospital.

“Ged was a few years older than me but he was my life. I miss him so much and have a lot of resentment for the people who made things so much worse for me by killing my two dogs.”

Mr Mitchell died of natural causes.

First published at 19:23, Thursday, 23 April 2009
Published by http://www.timesandstar.co.uk