No Jail Time & A Smirk for Dog Killer

An Australian man who kicked a defenceless fox terrier to death left court with a smirk on his face after learning he would not go to jail.

The April 2009 brutal midnight killing involved throwing his neighbour’s dog into the air, letting it hit the ground, then kicking it a number of times, before throwing it into the air again. The attack was witnessed by a neighbor who arrived too late to save the dog.

An autopsy confirmed the animal died of forced trauma to the head, a finding that resulted in a guilty plea to animal cruelty.

The defence lawyer said that his client described his neighbour’s pet as a constant source of angst for him and his son. Depression and extreme drunkenness were also offered as an explanation for the dog killer's behaviour. The court heard he had drunk 12 stubbies of beer and four cans of rum and coke before killing the dog.

The Magistrate described the man's actions as cowardly and said general deterrence was an important aspect of the three-month suspended jail sentence he imposed.

Conversely, the Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals described the sentence as “no deterrent at all”. “Deterrence is one thing, but we also want recognition of the known link between people who behave viciously toward animals and people who behave viciously toward humans."

Source: qt.com.au