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| Heather Hicks of Innisfail holds up her 4-month-old Chihuahua pup Daisy (named after the dog that was slain) to the windshield of a van carrying accused canine killer Daniel Charles Haskett from the courthouse in Didsbury. |
| Carla Victor/Mountain View Gazette |
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11/08/06 |
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By Jodi Styner and Dan Singleton
Mountainview Gazette |
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DIDSBURY –
Passions were high Monday as a man accused with the horrific
torture and slaying of canine Daisy Duke made his first appearance
in provincial court.
About 50 protestors, 25 dogs, and several journalists -
representing nearly every news agency from Calgary to Red Deer -
gathered outside the Didsbury Provincial Court building as
19-year-old Daniel Charles Haskett was escorted inside by RCMP.
Haskett, along with a 17-year-old young offender, are charged with
an Oct. 8 offence of cruelty to animals, a Criminal Code charge
that carries a maximum sentence of six months in jail or a $2,000
fine. Didsbury RCMP said Daisy Duke was a pet of the Haskett’s
family.
The case has ignited emotions from all over Alberta and across
Canada. Animal activists have demanded reform in the Criminal Code
on animal cruelty laws, which have not seen significant change in
more than a century.
“I’m here because I didn’t want people to think that everyone in
Didsbury is like that,” said Connie, a new resident to Didsbury who
declined to give her last name because her husband is a police
officer in town.
“Obviously this case has gotten a lot of attention and there are
normal, animal loving people in Didsbury. It’s a nice place to
live.”
Other local residents, who know the accused, shared stories,
painting a picture of a troubled young man.
But not all were there to protest. A few of Haskett’s friends were
on hand to show their support and told reporters to “go away”.
At about 11 a.m. people began pouring out of the courtroom, and
rushed to the back of the building to get a glimpse of Haskett as
he made his way to a van parked nearby.
Once inside the van, protestors swarmed the vehicle, yelling
“coward!”
Heather Hicks, of Innisfail, threw herself on the hood of the van
and held her four-month-old puppy, who she recently named Daisy
Duke, up to the windshield.
Another protestor banged his fist on the van and screamed at the
accused and his mother, then kicked the back of the van with his
foot as it exited the parking lot.
Haskett’s friends countered by shouting, “Charles, we love you!”
With the van gone, the crowd turned to Haskett’s friends, demanding
a reason for why they would support him.
“Because he’s my friend,” said one man, who declined to give his
name.
“I’m here to support him, not what he did and we don’t even know if
he
did it.”
Following the court appearance, Haskett’s Calgary lawyer, Mark
Takada, said he plans to review the disclosure documents provided
by the Crown to the accused on Monday before making any decisions
on how to proceed in the case.
“I can’t tell you anything about my plans right now,” said Takada.
In regards to the protests at the courthouse he said, “I have to do
what’s right for my client, not what’s popular.
“They (protestors) can say what they want, but I don’t think they
are very well informed about the case. They don’t know what the
whole story is.”
Takada said he plans to meet with assigned Crown prosecutor Gordon
Haight before the scheduled Nov. 22 court appearance.
Haight could not be reached for comment at press time.
Last month, Didsbury RCMP said the six-year-old female lab/collie
cross’s mouth and legs were bound with duct tape and dragged 100 metres along a road.
RCMP also said that when Daisy Duke was discovered, she had a tow
rope wrapped around her neck, a bag pulled over her head and was
bleeding badly from numerous areas on its body. A trail of blood
stretched three blocks along the road.
Daisy Duke’s neck, back and pelvis were broken, said RCMP last
month. The suffering dog had to be put down by a local veterinarian
at the horrific scene.
Crown prosecutor Bina Border, who handled the case on Monday, said
the cases against Haskett and the young offender will proceed
independently.
Haskett will be back in Didsbury court on Nov. 22 for plea.
The 17-year-old co-accused, who had an agent appear on his behalf
Monday, will be in court on Dec. 7.
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