Harrington Rolle received a 12-month sentence after pleading guilty to negligently causing grievous harm in the July 28 attack.
BIMINI, Bahamas — The owner of six dogs that seriously injured a 9-year-old Florida boy on a Bimini beach has been sentenced to one year in prison after pleading guilty to negligently causing grievous harm.
Harrington Rolle, 34, was sentenced Aug. 4 by acting Chief Magistrate Ancella Evans following the July 28 attack on Beau Brattain, who was vacationing in Bimini with his family. The court proceedings shifted the case from an initial police investigation to a criminal judgment only a week after Beau was attacked. The child suffered about 100 bite wounds and was airlifted to Miami with life-threatening injuries.
Rolle also received a six-month sentence for being the owner of a dangerous dog that caused injury and a 30-day sentence for permitting a dangerous dog to be at large. The sentences will run concurrently, meaning Rolle’s longest term is 12 months. He accepted responsibility in court, according to reporting on the sentencing. Rolle said the dogs had been kept inside a storage shed but acknowledged there was a problem with the lock securing them.
The attack happened at about 10 a.m. July 28 while Beau was collecting sand near a beach. Police said he had left the place where his family was staying when several dogs attacked. An unidentified passerby intervened and chased the animals away. Beau then made his way back to his family. Authorities said he suffered injuries to his legs, an arm, his face and his head.
Beau was taken for medical treatment in Bimini before the U.S. Coast Guard flew him to Jackson Memorial Hospital in Miami. His family later said he had suffered roughly 100 bites. By early August, he had undergone three surgeries and was expected to need additional care and rehabilitation. His mother, Aliette Trelles, has said he is making progress despite the severity of the injuries.
The Royal Bahamas Police Force initially said the dogs’ owner was helping investigators locate, secure and remove the animals. Rolle was later charged with negligently causing grievous harm, failing to take measures to control a dangerous dog, owning a dangerous and out-of-control dog that injured a person in a public place, and permitting an animal to be at large. Court reporting on his sentencing said he pleaded guilty to the offenses for which the prison terms were imposed.
Evans emphasized during the proceedings that the child could have died. Photographs of Beau’s injuries were presented to the court before the sentence was imposed. The judge also ordered that the six dogs involved in the attack be euthanized.
The sentencing resolves Rolle’s criminal case while Beau’s medical recovery remains ongoing. His relatives have established an online fundraiser to help pay for treatment, rehabilitation, travel and other expenses. The fundraising appeal has described his recovery as a long process, and his parents have said further procedures and therapy may be needed.
No timetable has been publicly announced for the completion of Beau’s treatment. The latest family updates indicate that he is recovering in South Florida as his parents focus on his medical care following the attack.
Author note: Last updated August 9, 2026.