Mare Tahau faces court for beating a dog to death with his bare hands, then drink-driving with its body
A MAN beat a small dog called Rover to death with his bare hands because it bit him, and was then caught drink-driving with the animal’s body in his back seat, a court has heard.
A MAN beat a small dog to death with his bare hands because it bit him, and was then caught drink-driving with the animal’s body in his back seat, a court has heard.
On Tuesday, the Adelaide Magistrates Court was asked to sentence Mare Tahau to the maximum two-year jail term for animal cruelty, and order he serve it immediately.
Damon Ind, for the RSPCA, said Tahau’s fatal assault upon Rover – a white, fluffy terrier who weighed just 5.5kg – was one of the worst examples of the offence.
“The dog was in the laundry and was barking, he went to calm and pet it and it bit him … he punched it twice, the second punch ultimately bringing about its death,” he said.
“The dog was beaten to death with two blows, and a pathologist compared their blunt-force trauma to that of being struck by a car.”
Tahau, 29, pleaded guilty to one count of ill-treating an animal over the incident at his friend’s Woodville home on May 26, 2017.
The court heard Tahau had recently moved from Kangaroo Island, and Rover’s owner had allowed him to stay with them.
On the night of the incident, Rover’s owner went out with friends leaving the dog alone with Tahau, who immediately called him to confess his actions.
At the owner’s request, Tahau drove Rover to him and then on to a vet – it was during that second trip that police pulled Tahau over for drink-driving.
On Tuesday, Magistrate Simon Smart questioned whether Tauhau deserved such a high penalty, given his lack of any prior offending and good character.
“The dog had bit him, I expect that his temper had been inflamed … does that not explain and mitigate the fact he has acted this way?” he asked.
“It was not an entirely gratuitous act … surely a malevolent, malicious act (of animal cruelty) would have to be more serious than this.”
Mr Ind disagreed, asking the court not to “downplay” the severity of the act nor the effect of Rover’s death upon his owner.
“(The owner) says seeing the dog, a beloved family member, dead in the back seat has scarred him for life,” he said.
“He says coming home to find blood stains in the laundry was overwhelming … all he has of Rover now are photos by way of memories.”
Craig Fabbian, for Tahau, conceded the case would leave “the community aghast” said a suspended sentence would be an appropriate penalty.
“He has no violent tendencies, no history and has remorse for his actions … he is most regretful and most ashamed,” he said.
“This was excessive, disinhibited and reactionary behaviour.”
Mr Smart will sentence Tahau next week.