Man escapes conviction for shooting neighbor's dog amid psychological distress

A 59-year-old Mildura man, John Charles Green, has been placed on a two-year good behavior bond after admitting to shooting his neighbor's dog, a Maltese Shih Tzu named Otis, in the hind leg, rib cage, and shoulder.

Green pleaded guilty to charges including wounding a dog, failing to store a long-arm weapon securely, and being armed with a firearm with criminal intent. The incident occurred on December 14 last year when Green, who had previously run a supermarket in Mildura for three decades, fired an air rifle at least three times at Otis after being woken by persistent barking at 2 a.m.

“

He just cracked.

The Broadmeadows Magistrates' Court heard that Green had been dealing with the issue of the neighbor's four dogs barking for months and had attempted to address it legally through the council's dog barking register. His defense lawyer, Charles Morgan, argued that Green's actions were a result of acute psychological distress, exacerbated by his recent retirement, a loss of identity, and the stress of becoming a full-time carer for his wife, who has complex medical issues.

"He just cracked," Morgan stated, emphasizing that Green's actions were not rational and stemmed from being "at his wit's end." The court was informed that Green expressed guilt, embarrassment, and shame over his out-of-character decision and did not seek to make excuses. The dog, Otis, sustained injuries to his left hind leg, left rib cage, and right shoulder. The court ultimately decided against a conviction, considering Green's mental state, his full admission to police, and his lack of prior violent or cruel behavior.

“

Nothing my client did on that morning was rational, he was at his wit's end due to the outlined factors.