Tyson James Shaw-Holland jailed for striking man with steel bar, kicking dog in unprovoked attack

A meth addict who had been drinking on the job struck a stranger with a steel bar and kicked his dog so hard its sternum broke, a court has heard.

Tyson James Shaw-Holland was jailed on Monday for an assault on a stranger and his dog in February last year.

A 21-year-old ice addict was intoxicated and hadn't slept for days when he violently attacked a stranger and his dog, leaving the man with a bloody, fractured arm and the dog with a broken sternum, a court has heard.

Tyson James Shaw-Holland was jailed in Maroochydore District Court on Monday for the "senseless" act of violence against a stranger.

The court heard Shaw-Holland, 21, charged at the then 49-year-old man and struck him with a steel pole, after mistakenly believing he was "casing" his boss's house on February 25 last year.

Crown prosecutor Christopher Cook said the man had been walking his dog towards his car in Palmwoods when he stopped on a driveway to let a car pass, which turned out to be at the house of the driver.

Mr Cook said the man told the woman he was walking to his car but she called her husband, Shaw-Holland's boss, and said she thought the man was "up to no good."

The man continued walking up the road with his dog, a small Jack Russell, but the woman's husband and Shaw-Holland pulled up and accused him of "casing" the house.

Armed with a 40cm steel bar, Shaw-Holland, then aged 20, charged at the man saying "F--- off scum, you druggo, we don't have people like you in our neighbourhood".

Tyson James Shaw-Holland was jailed on Monday for a violent attack on a stranger and his dog in February last year.

Shaw-Holland swung the steel bar at him, which he blocked with his forearm.

Mr Cook said it was "fortunate" he had been able to block the bar as it could have killed him if it hit his head as Shaw-Holland intended.

The man ran down a driveway as blood poured from his arm, screaming for help, the court heard.

Shaw-Holland chased him and then kicked his dog with enough force to break its sternum.

"That's callous and cruel offending," Mr Cook said.

"(He was) perpetrating senseless violence on an unexpecting man who was walking his dog to his car."

When police later interviewed Shaw-Holland he lied about not using the steel bar or kicking the dog.

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Defence barrister David Crews said Shaw-Holland had a substance abuse problem and had started using ice at 19.

"At the time of offending he was drinking, in fact he was drinking on the job," he said.

He said Shaw-Holland would "binge" substances and at the time had been using ice, had not slept for a few days and was drinking heavily.

He said Shaw-Holland had now been attending Narcotics Anonymous for four weeks and had not used ice for eight weeks.

Shaw-Holland faced court for sentencing, after pleading guilty to one count each of grievous bodily harm and serious animal cruelty in April.

In his sentencing remarks, Judge Gary Long said the unwarranted assault caused significant harm to the victim.

He said Shaw-Holland's youth and guilty plea were in his favour and while his personal circumstances may explain the attack they did not excuse it.

On the grievous bodily harm charge Shaw-Holland was sentenced to three years and nine months imprisonment, to suspended for an operational period of five years after he serves 12 months.

For the animal cruelty he was sentenced to 12 months imprisonment and three years' probation.

Judge Long ordered Shaw-Holland to pay $523.55 compensation by June 17. 

Originally published as Tyson James Shaw-Holland jailed for striking man with steel bar, kicking dog in unprovoked attack