Court finds for dog-bite plaintiff
Copyright © 2003 Blethen Maine Newspapers Inc.
AUGUSTA — A woman has won a civil case against a man she says held her hostage for four hours and sicced his dog on her.
Sheila Amaral, 41, also known as Sheila Weymouth, won a judgment last week in Kennebec County Superior Court against Carleton E. Brock of Vassalboro.
"It's a point ahead for women," she said. "The guy did a terrible, terrible thing to me."
Brock did not appear at the hearing last week, although he had provided a deposition and a statement to the court.
Amaral, formerly of Augusta and Vassalboro, was represented by attorney James E. Mitchell.
While Amaral originally obtained a temporary $50,000 lien on property owned by Brock, Justice S. Kirk Studstrup awarded her $9,807 in compensation and $6,000 in punitive damages.
Augusta District Court documents show that Brock, 49, was fined $300 after he pleaded no contest to a charge of assaulting Amaral in Augusta on May 2, 2001.
In a second incident detailed in the civil lawsuit, Amaral accused Brock of keeping her against her will at his Vassalboro residence on Jan. 30 and 31.
She says she went voluntarily to the residence on Jan. 30, but he kept her there for four hours the next day when she wanted to leave.
She claimed Brock held her arms and told his dog to bite her, resulting in a puncture wound in a tattoo on her leg.
Amaral said she spent two days in the hospital and had $840 in medical bills resulting from the January incident. She also said the puncture from the dog bite caused scar tissue to permanently disfigure the $400 tattoo on her leg.
In an affidavit, Amaral said she had had a personal relationship with Brock.
She moved to Lincoln County after the incident.
Amaral also said, "I suggest any woman being battered immediately contact the Family Violence Project."
Betty Adams — 621-5631
badams@centralmaine.com