A Dunedin man has avoided imprisonment for violent offending, including drop-kicking a kitten and mutilating its corpse.
Cory James Gilliand-Dickson, 21, appeared in the Dunedin District Court yesterday after he admitted ill-treating an animal, and was found guilty of threatening to kill, assault in a family relationship and assaulting a child, following a judge-alone trial in June.
The court heard that last year the defendant assaulted his partner’s baby five times, including holding him upside down by the shins and shaking him, and hitting his head with a spoon.
The man also drop-kicked a kitten into a wall, leaving it with severe injuries and bleeding from the face.
The kitten was later killed and buried in the garden, but the following day Gilliand-Dickson dug up its corpse and decapitated it with a pickaxe.
Counsel Brendan Stephenson argued a sentence of home detention should be imposed.
He highlighted his client’s youth and "unfortunate upbringing" which could go some way to explain the offending.
"[Home detention] provides structure to his rehabilitation, it’s still a punitive sentence and would allow him to work on the issues behind the violence," Mr Stephenson said.
Judge Hermann Retzlaff said while Gilliand-Dickson had been assessed by a probation officer as posing a low risk of reoffending, he could not agree.
"There is some inexplicable behaviours here.
"From where I’m sitting he’s not at low risk of reoffending."
He noted the defendant continued to deny the offending and therefore demonstrated no remorse for it.
Judge Retzlaff said assaulting a child was the most serious offence, highlighting the assaults were against a "defenseless victim".
"You presented as a bully to a child less than one year old.
"That part of the offending ... was cowardly."
After giving the matter "a lot of thought", Judge Retzlaff considered the defendant’s lack of prior convictions meant home detention was the right outcome.
"As concerning as the offending is ... I think the balance tips [in his favour]."
He sentenced Gilliand-Dickson to nine months’ home detention and made an order banning him from owning pets for two years.
