WEST MANCHESTER TOWNSHIP, Penn. – A Maryland man kept his wife tethered to a dog leash, and it was not a kinky sex stunt. It appears to be standard practice on his part.
The man was arrested and charged with assault Saturday after he reportedly yanked on the leash that was around her neck.
A witness said William Wolford, 66, was walking around the York Fair in Pennsylvania over the weekend with an approximately 8-foot-long dog-style leash attached to his wife’s neck, the York Daily Record reported, citing charging documents.
Wolford tugged on the leash, which caused his wife’s head to snap back and left red marks around her throat, the witness added, according to the paper citing documents.
Wolford told police his wife, Catherine, was suffering from advanced-stage dementia. He said that when he and his wife attended the York Fair last year, she was not wearing any restraints and wandered off and became lost for over an hour, FOX 43 reported. He told police that this year, he felt his wife should have some form of restraint to prevent her from getting lost and came up with the leash idea, according to the criminal complaint.
Maryland man arrested at York Fair for allegedly choking his wife with dog leash https://t.co/OSnIsVuVKz pic.twitter.com/tM3uhZuaOA
— WPMT FOX43 (@fox43) September 18, 2018
Wolford said the leash was originally around her waist, but it somehow managed to move up to her neck, the Record reported citing documents. When his wife walked away, Wolford said the slack became tight and he “gently tugged on the leash so she would stop.”
This is a curious defense since the law of gravity conflicts with his assertion. If she has dementia as he says, perhaps holding her hand would be a bit more compassionate.
Wolford was charged with simple assault and released on $5,000 unsecured bail. He is scheduled to appear in court Oct. 18, according to the paper.
The couple’s son vouched for his father, telling police he was not abusive, FOX 43 reported.
Catherine Wolford received medical attention and was “very disoriented,” the paper reported, citing documents.