No conviction for man who impaled hedgehog

A man who impaled a hedgehog on a steel rod and left it alive has escaped conviction.

Jincang Zhou believed the hedgehog was dead, and had attacked it because he thought it had killed two of his chickens, his lawyer told the Hutt Valley District Court yesterday.

Zhou, 58, appeared in court for a discharge without conviction hearing, having earlier pleaded guilty to the ill treatment of an animal.

Judge Bruce Davidson said it was a “highly unusual charge arising in very unusual circumstances”. He said Zhou found the hedgehog in his garden on the evening of February 13 and believe it had earlier attacked chickens and that it would do it again.

“You stabbed the hedgehog with a steel rod and then, believing it to be dead, impaled it with the rod and left it. Unfortunately the hedgehog wasn’t dead.”

Someone nearby heard the hedgehog “screeching” and called police, who found the animal still alive, with its innards “hanging out”.

“The essence of the charge against you, of course, is that you caused the hedgehog unnecessary pain and suffering,” Judge Davidson said.

“I’m not at all confident that at a judge-alone trial the prosecution would have necessarily been able to prove wilful ill treatment.”

Zhou’s lawyer said his actions were not “motivated by malice”, but rather concern for his chickens..

“He accepts that he acted in haste and that his actions were frankly ill considered and inhumane,” the lawyer said.

Zhou, who has no criminal history, felt “a great deal of shame and remorse” and has made a voluntary $200 donation to the SPCA.

The lawyer argued Zhou should not receive a conviction, because it could affect his ability to obtain future work as a subcontractor. He also said it could prevent Zhou from travelling overseas for his son’s wedding when borders reopened.

Judge Davidson said Zhou appeared to be genuinely remorseful, had undergone a form of mentoring and counselling at his local church, and that the consequences of a conviction had the potential to be “quite significant”.

He agreed to discharge Zhou without conviction.