Man stabbed his neighbour’s dog in the face, because he was frustrated over barking
A nasty neighbour who stabbed a dog three times in the face because he was fed up with it barking has narrowly avoided jail.
South East
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A heartless hound hater who stabbed a defenceless dog in the face three times because it kept barking has walked free from court.
The Doveton man was “frustrated” at his neighbour’s Staffordshire bull terrier cross mastiff’s barking, so he attacked it while the owner was away.
The dog survived after being rushed to an emergency vet clinic, and still lives next door to her attacker.
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Alan Erskine was sentenced on one charge of committing cruelty on an animal by wounding at Dandenong Magistrates’ Court yesterday.
He had pleaded guilty to the charge last year, but the case was adjourned so he could have a psychiatric assessment.
The court heard the man had complained about his neighbour’s dog to Casey Council three times between April and July last year, but when asked to keep a barking diary, he refused.
On June 10 he sent an email to the council saying “either you shut that (dog) up or I will”.
On July 13 Endeavour Hills’ police received a phone call from Erskine stating he had injured the dog, saying “he had done something terrible”.
No police units were available so it was referred to Casey Council, who contacted the dog owner. He found his beloved pet “shivering and in a state of shock” and had “three open lacerations above and below her left eye and bleeding freely”.
The dog was taken to Hallam’s emergency vet clinic and successfully treated.
On July 19 Erskine was interviewed by RSPCA officers, but initially denied injuring the dog.
In court his defence lawyer said the 54-year-old disability pensioner was aware he had “behaved in an unacceptable manner” and was now very remorseful and ashamed, and kept reliving the attack.
“He continues to see the animal’s face in his nightmares,” he said.
“He was horrified by his actions on that day.”
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Magistrate Jack Vandersteen said the only reasons Erskine was not being jailed was because he was the one who alerted authorities and he had accepted responsibility.
He said if he had not pleaded guilty, he would have jailed him for four months.
“The dog was vulnerable and in an enclosed area,” Mr Vandersteen said.
“You cut that dog to the face three times.
“You took matters into your own hands out of sheer frustration.”
Erskine was given an 18-month community corrections order, must do 250 hours of unpaid work and must pay $3681 in compensation.
He was convicted and banned from owning any animal for three years.
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