"Toddler John" LISTLE - 22 Months - Horse Shoe Bend NC

A colleague of a Camp Lejeune
lance corporal charged with negligent child abuse after his toddler son
was mauled by a dog last year said Tuesday that his comrade was a good
father, faithful friend and squared-away Marine.

Brennan Michael Listle, 21, of Horse Shoe Bend,
is on trial for charges from the Onslow County Sheriff’s Office of
felonious negligent child abuse causing serious bodily injury and
contributing to the delinquency of a juvenile, a misdemeanor.

Assistant District Attorney J. B. Askins and
arresting authorities contend that Listle left his 22-month-old son to
play in their fenced-in backyard where two dogs were kept while he
socialized and smoked a cigarette in the front yard with friends.

One of those friends, Marine Cpl. Johny Endsley — who testified Tuesday — told The Daily News during a break in the trial that Listle loved his son and didn’t deserve to lose his military career over a tragic accident.

“Brennan is a loving and caring father,” Endsley
said outside the Onslow County Courthouse on Tuesday morning. “I wish I
had a father that loved his son as much.”

Endsley said the public reacted to the story with
such vitriol because the dog in question was a pit bull, a breed that
has a bad reputation for being violent. Endsley said the reputation is
undeserved.

“I have three pit bulls I trained for use as service dogs, and they’ve never been a problem,” he said.

Testimony Tuesday from Listle’s friends present
the day of the attack said Listle was in the front yard while his son
played in the backyard where a 5-month-old German Shepard was loose and a
17-month-old male pit bull was on a 10-foot rope.

The pit bull mauled Listle’s son, who ended up
with fractures in two of the seven bones in his neck’s cervical region.
If Listle’s other dog hadn’t alerted Listle with its barking and Listle
hadn’t rescued his son, the child would have been even more severely
injured, witnesses said.

Onslow County Animal Control Officer Doug Howell
testified to working the scene after the mauling. He said he went to the
hospital where he saw Listle, who appeared upset by the attack and very
concerned over his son’s condition.

During his cross examination, Listle’s attorney,
Jacksonville lawyer Chris Welch, questioned Howell as to whether any
complaints had ever been lodged about either of Listle’s dogs. Howell
said there hadn’t been.

Howell also said Listle was not intoxicated at the time of the incident and his wife was at work.

N.C. Superior Court Judge Charles Henry dismissed
a juror Tuesday afternoon for supposedly trying to talk about the case
with other jury members. An alternate will now deliberate with the jury
when the time comes.

The state is expected to continue presenting evidence Wednesday at 9:30 a.m.
http://www.jdnews.com/articles/good-100071-dog-father.html

Update: “I’m going home to kiss my son on the head,” said Brennan Listle on his way out of the Onslow County Superior Courthouse on Wednesday afternoon after being acquitted of child abuse charges in his son’s dog mauling last year.

Listle, 21, was found not guilty by a jury of felonious negligent child abuse causing serious bodily injury and misdemeanor contributing to the delinquency of a juvenile.

“I feel exonerated,” Listle said after the verdict was read and the presiding judge told him he was free to go. Listle said he held no malice for prosecutors and that tragic accidents like what happened to his son could happen to anyone.

His son, Brennan Listle Jr., now 2 years and 8 months old, was mauled by the family pit bull last January after Listle left him alone in the backyard to socialize with friends and smoke a cigarette. The boy was alone for about 10 minutes when a 5-month-old female German Shepard began to bark. Listle went to check on his son and found him face down with a 17-month-old pit bull biting the back of his neck, according to testimony during the two-day trial.

The child is doing fine now and has no memory of the attack, Listle’s wife, Tiffany, testified earlier Wednesday.

During his closing argument, Assistant District Attorney J. B. Askins told jurors that it was not enough that the child is doing OK now. He said leaving the boy alone in the fenced-in backyard with two dogs was akin to locking him up in a cage with two dangerous animals.

Listle’s attorney, Jacksonville lawyer Christopher Welch said the incident was a tragic accident.

“My client made a mistake, but he was not grossly negligent,” Welch said.

Listle, a Camp Lejeune Marine corporal, said his re-enlistment has been on hold pending the outcome of the trial and he plans to sign up now that his legal troubles are behind him.

Listle said he was happy the jury found him not guilty and his family planned to eat a good meal and celebrate.

http://www.jdnews.com/articles/listle-100110-guilty-dog.html