Christopher William Dobson assaults man over messy dogs

A Brisbane man struck his neighbour across the head with a piece of wood over a dispute about cleaning up after messy pets.

A Brisbane man struck his neighbour across the head with a piece of wood over a dispute about cleaning up after messy pets.

Christopher William Dobson, 26, pleaded guilty to one count of assault occasioning bodily harm while armed in the Brisbane District Court on Friday.

The court heard Dobson was in an altercation with his next door neighbour in Manly West on April 27, 2019, after the victim’s mother had complained to Dobson’s partner about the mess their dogs were making on the property.

Crown prosecutor Rhys Byrne said Dobson picked up a piece of wood that had duct tape fashioned as a handle and entered the man’s house.

“He took that piece of wood to the complainant’s unit where the complainant was sitting inside,” he said.

“He struck the complainant in the head once with the piece of wood, on the right side of the head.”

The pair then struggled outside before the victim was taken to the hospital by his mother, whom he lived with.

He needed nine stitches for a 6cm laceration to the top of his head.

“Striking someone across the head is an incredibly dangerous thing to do,” the prosecutor said.

Judge Fantin sentenced Dobson to 18 months in prison.

Judge Tracy Fantin said Dobson had an extensive criminal history, including historical violent offending.

“People should be entitled to discuss neighbourly problems between themselves without the fear of someone arming themselves with a piece of wood, coming into their home and hitting them over the head with it,” she said.

Judge Fantin sentenced Dobson to 18 months in prison with a parole release date on June 11, after she considered time already spent in custody related to the matter.