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Former professional rugby player stabbed dog to death
By Online Editors
A New Zealander who fatally stabbed his neighbour's dog during an early morning fracas in Perth has been jailed for seven months.
Bullet the bull mastiff was stabbed in the head, shoulder and torso during an early morning fracas between Silo Sagote and his neighbours in Redcliffe on January 27 last year.
The dog was treated at a veterinary hospital but went into cardiac arrest the next day and died after 25 minutes of resuscitation efforts.
Perth Magistrates Court heard on Wednesday that Sagote sought to find his housemate's lost dog Terror by searching with the neighbours' other dog Chloe, who was on heat.
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The neighbours, including a woman who was three months' pregnant, came to collect Chloe around 1am but were confronted by an irate Sagote, who brandished kitchen knifes, shouted and demanded she leave.
After he pushed the front door hard, making the woman fall, the neighbours unleashed Bullet, wh o ran up to defend her.
"At no time did he growl or bark," the police prosecutor said.
Sagote's defence lawyer said his client didn't recognise the neighbours, who weren't Bullet's "direct owner", but he knew the dog well.
"Mr Sagote is a dog lover," the lawyer said.
"He's walked Bullet in the past, he's fed Bullet in the past."
There was "confusion" at the doorway and Sagote, a former professional rugby union player, was very sad the dog died, the lawyer said.
The prosecutor said Sagote's home was searched after the incident and there were no signs he had been preparing food, which he initially claimed was the reason he was holding knives.
He later admitted in a police interview that he'd lied.
Magistrate Elizabeth Woods said it was "a bit odd" Sagote took the knives to the front door.
"My difficulty is he knows the dogs," she said.
"It is, in my view, a very violent offence ... and an unnecessary attack on the dog," magistrate Elizabeth Woods said.
"He could have shut the door."
Sagote, who smoked cannabis that night, was due to stand trial on one of his two charges on Wednesday but changed his plea to guilty after receiving legal advice.
His sentence was backdated to take into account six weeks he spent in custody for breaching bail and he will be eligible for parole.
AAP
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The New Zealand performance in the return fixture in 2016 was filthy. A lot of Irish supporters were pretty shocked by it, viewed it as de facto cheating just to avoid another defeat.
Also shocked by the abuse to Ireland, captain, vice-captain and spectators after the full time whistle in Paris defeat, last match.
Sledging is sledging, but that happens during the game and targetting spectators should be completely out of bounds.
The Irish public used to enjoy these matches, even in defeat. Now they are necessary but unpleasant, because NZ apparently cannot accept or respect successful challengers.
Go to commentsThanks for the analysis Nick, thought provoking as usual. Couple of queries though, in the pic where you've circled Williams bind , I'm pretty sure it shows Stuart's knee on the ground, surely that's a NZ penalty? Also having had the chance to watch it again the All Black scrum seeems to improve after halftime, but before either England or the All Blacks replace their props. Not sure if that was the result of Tuipolutu coming on or some halftime tips. Either way this is only Williams second international season, so he'll be better for the experience.
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