Dalby mum Lillian Fay Colonel sentenced in court for wilful damage

A Western Downs mum who damaged a council car after attempting to take back a family dog that had been seized for wandering the streets has fronted court. See how the bizarre ordeal unfolded.

A family pet has cost a Dalby woman a string of expensive fines, not only from council but the courthouse, after she tried to take a dog back from council after it had been seized, damaging a work vehicle in the process.

Lillian Fay Colonel appeared in Dalby Magistrates Court on August 1 after she ignored a Western Downs Regional Council worker and ripped a family dog from the cage, damaging the car.

Police prosecutor Chris Hutchins told the court on February 27 the council worker attended the 31-year-old’s residence where they saw the Great Dane wondering on the footpath in front of the property unattended.

“The council worker placed the dog inside the car when (Colonel) approached her and asked them to take the dog out as it was her dog,” Sergeant Hutchins said.

He told the court the worker advised the mother of five not to touch the dog as it was being taken to the pound however the woman reached in to unlock the cage and retrieve the family pet.

“Due to (Colonel’s) forceful removal of the dog she damaged the car door,” Sergeant Hutchins said.

Defence lawyer Michael McElhinney said the dog had been obtained by the family recently and kept jumping the fence.

“She has received three separate fines from council, one for not being registered, for allowing it to wander and another for releasing the dog from custody of the worker,” Mr McElhinney said.

The total of fines from council was $1300.

Magistrate Kyna Morice acknowledged the woman’s already hefty list of fines and said she understood the difficulty of looking after an animal.

Colonel pleaded guilty to wilful damage.

She was fined $200, no conviction was recorded.