Broome man handed suspended jail term after killing ex-partner's dog

Australia Broadcast Center

5 days ago

A Broome man who killed his partner's dog has walked free from court after receiving a suspended jail term.
Warning: This story contains details of injuries to an animal that some readers may find distressing.
Broome Magistrates Court heard Regan Phillip Woodley, 32, lashed out at the 8-kilogram dog after an "explosive" argument with his then-partner in November last year.
After Woodley left the property, the court heard the woman went to look for her dog, which later "wobbled back" to the house.
The animal died as a result of its injuries.
Woodley was charged under the Animal Welfare Act, and faced trial after pleading not guilty.
Sentencing Woodley on Wednesday, Magistrate Deen Potter referred to evidence from a local vet who examined the dead dog's body.
Magistrate Potter said the cross-breed suffered numerous broken ribs and had air present outside of its lungs, consistent with a "collapsed or punctured lung".
The animal also had a fractured vertebra, which would have caused paralysis and impacted the dog's movements of its back legs.
The magistrate told the court he could "not make a positive finding on whether he intended to kill the dog", but found Woodley had caused it grievous injuries.
"I can't say it was malicious," Magistrate Potter said.
"At the very least … [it was] emotional anger."
Based on the evidence before him, the magistrate found the dog had been "kicked or run over" by Woodley on his scooter.
Seated next to his lawyer, Woodley held his head in his hands during his conviction and sentencing, but did not say anything else.
Magistrate Potter told the court Woodley "lashed out in a fit of anger" as he walked out of his partner's home, where two children and another person were present.
The court heard Woodley and his partner were in a "dynamic situation", and had been in a verbal argument that had "escalated across the day".
Magistrate Potter said the case was based on circumstantial evidence, as no-one saw Woodley have any physical interaction with the dog.
But due to the credible evidence presented to the court at trial, he said a term of imprisonment was appropriate.
Woodley was sentenced to seven months' jail, suspended for nine months.