Kenneth Siely released from jail after riding over woman with quad bike

A terminally-ill Tasmanian man who ran over his neighbour with a quad bike because she tried to stop him crossing her property to collect his dog has been sentenced. CASE DETAILS >>

Kenneth Siely hit Theresa Dierckx with his quad bike, knocking her to the ground and driving over her. Picture: FILE IMAGE

A TERMINALLY-ill man who rode his quad bike over his neighbour when she wouldn’t let him cross her property to collect his dog has been released after six months in jail.

Kenneth Siely, whose dog is his “only company” through his end-stage chronic lung disease, rode to the boundary of Theresa Dierckx’s property on November 25 last year and called for his pet, the Supreme Court of Tasmania heard on Monday.

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An argument broke out between the pair over Siely’s right to be on Ms Dierckx’s driveway.

She filmed her neighbour with her mobile phone and accused him of trespass, with Siely replying: “f … ing such a silly b … h” and “my land here you silly b … h”.

Accelerating heavily, Siely told the woman “I’ll run you over” and rode into her while saying “get out of my f … ing way”.

“She was knocked over, and went under the front of the bike where she came into contact with its undercarriage,” Justice Gregory Geason said.

“One of her legs was run over by one of the wheels. When the bike was on top of her, you said ‘I said get out of my f … ing way’.”

Siely rode on to pick up his dog, while Ms Dierckx was taken by ambulance to the Royal Hobart Hospital with extensive bruising, a headache and muscle stiffness, particularly to her neck and ongoing pain.

“Through good fortune alone the physical injuries sustained by Ms Dierckx are much less serious than they might have been in consequence of your aggressive and unnecessary conduct,” Justice Geason said.

Noting Siely did have the legal right to cross the property to collect his dog, the judge added that “in no way” justified his actions.

“Resorting to violent actions is never acceptable,” he said.

“It is never acceptable to assault another person no matter how frustrated you are by that person’s actions or words.”

He said the past six months were Siely’s first time in custody, and that he was at extra risk of COVID-19 infection in jail due to his lung disease.

Justice Geason said his condition required low-dose oxygen therapy and morphine.

Siely, who pleaded guilty to assault, was jailed for one year with the remaining six months suspended.