By Adam Cooper
A man charged with kicking a dog during a vaccine mandate protest will fight a charge of animal cruelty and argue he acted in self-defence and that the animal was aggressive, a court has heard.
Stipo Cicak faces one count of committing an act of cruelty on an animal after the RSPCA charged him following an incident in Melbourne on September 20 last year, which happened during a protest outside the head office of construction union the CFMEU.
Stipo Cicak claims the dog was aggressive, a court has heard. Credit: Seven News
Video footage showed a man in white shoes confront another man, who had hold of the dog’s lead, outside the CFMEU’s Elizabeth Street office. The man in white shoes kicked the dog, lifting the animal into the air, but it landed on its feet.
It is not known whether the dog was injured.
Mr Cicak’s case went before Melbourne Magistrates Court on Wednesday, when magistrate Tara Hartnett referred to documents and said the 41-year-old planned to plead not guilty and argue he acted in self-defence.
Ms Hartnett asked the lawyers if Mr Cicak feared the dog or another person, and prosecutor Natalie Perera, acting for the RSPCA, replied: “It is their [the accused and his lawyers’] position that the dog was aggressive.”
Mr Cicak, of Keilor East, faces being jailed for up to one year or fined up to $45,000 if found guilty of the charge.
It was not clear whether he watched Wednesday’s online hearing as the magistrate did not ask for his appearance. Mr Cicak’s case is to return to court on March 17.
The incident came on a day of violence in Melbourne, when protesters clashed with police and CFMEU staff over the state government’s introduction of COVID-19 vaccinations for the building and construction industry.
Defence lawyer Cameron Shamsabad asked that Mr Cicak’s charge sheet not be released to the media over concerns he would be targeted on social media.
But Ms Hartnett said that concern was not a sufficient reason to refuse the media’s request.
The Morning Edition newsletter is our guide to the day’s most important and interesting stories, analysis and insights. Sign up here.