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THE DEPUTY mayor of Coonamble, charged with an alleged dog attack that saw a mechanic lose his arm, has fronted court for the first time. Paul Anthony Wheelhouse, 53, faces five charges including grievous bodily harm by a negligent act; failure to comply with menacing dog control requirements; hindering an investigation into a serious indictable offence; and owner of a menacing dog not comply with section 51. In Coonamble Local Court on Tuesday, Wheelhouse did not enter pleas to any of the charges. Magistrate George Breton ordered his bail to continue. The case was adjourned until August. A 43-year-old man, Brendan Clark, is still recovering from the alleged attack on June 21 that saw two pig hunting dogs maul him in a 30 to 90-minute episode that resulted in the amputation of his right arm. Clark suffered cuts, bite marks and scratches to his cheeks, left arm and neck in the alleged dog attack at a Coonamble property he was working on alone at the time. Four dogs were removed from the property after the alleged attack, while Mr Clark was rushed to John Hunter Hospital. He has undergone multiple surgeries since the alleged incident. Read also: Police claim the mauling occurred at about 11am, and that Wheelhouse failed to control his menacing dogs in line with requirements. Wheelhouse was arrested by police on July 3 in Coonamble and was granted conditional bail. For more court and crime news, subscribe to the Leader

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