Jailed over kill threat

MAN WHO THREATENED A RANGER OVER DOG SEIZURE BEHIND BARS FOR SIX MONTHS

A police officer had to draw their gun after a man pulled a knife on a council ranger and threatened to cut the ranger’s throat when the ranger tried to seize his dog, a court has heard.

Matthew Cemino, 43, of Shepparton, pleaded guilty in Shepparton Magistrates’ Court to threatening to inf lict serious injury, obstructing an authorised person, using a controlled weapon, two counts of making threats to kill, unlawful assault, criminal damage and intentionally damaging property.

He also pleaded guilty to contravening a personal safety intervention order, possessing a schedule four poison, committing an indictable offence while on bail, failing to answer bail, failing to stop a motor vehicle on request, disqualified driving, two counts of possessing a prescription drug of dependence and possessing cartridge ammunition without a licence.

Prosecutor Molly Wooderson told the court Cemino pulled a knife on a council ranger and threatened to kill him and cut his throat when the ranger tried to seize his dog on November 4 last year.

A police officer, who was with three council rangers when they went to seize Cemino’s dog, pulled his firearm and told Cemino to drop the knife, before another police officer sprayed Cemino with capsicum spray.

The dog was taken away when Cemino had been subdued.

In a police interview, Cemino said he had the knife because another ‘‘person was threatening him’’ and he denied knowing the ranger was an authorised officer.

When asked what his intention was when he pulled the knife he said it was to ‘‘save me (sic) dog or to save my life’’.

‘‘He was going to take my dog. I’ll do anything to save him,’’ Cemino said to police.

Ms Wooderson said Cemino called the Shepparton Animal Shelter two days later searching for his dog.

Cemino was aggressive on the phone, including yelling ‘‘you’d better give it (the dog) to me or I’ll come down there and put a bullet in that ranger’s head’’, Ms Wooderson said.

About 10 or 15 minutes later Cemino arrived at the shelter and yelled at staff members through the window.

In a separate incident, Cemino walked into the front yard of a Shepparton house he thought a police officer lived at while armed with a hammer on September 6 last year.

He swung the hammer at the front door and yelled ‘‘you copper c **** , how about you do your job. I’ll f ****** kill yous (sic)’’.

On October 20, 2020, Cemino was seen walking past a woman’s house in breach of a personal safety intervention order served on him a week earlier.

In a separate incident on June 17 last year Cemino hit a Goulburn Murray Credit Union ATM several times, causing $2550 damage to it after it retained his card.

On August 4 this year, police found two bullets in the car door after they stopped Cemino while driving in Richmond.

He also had a tablet of valium and two viagra pills with him and was driving while disqualified.

Cemino’s solicitor Luke Slater told the court Cemino’s offending came because he had mental health issues.

Mr Slater also told the court he believed Cemino had previously been fined in court for failing to register his dog and being the owner of a dog that attacked a person, and it was for this attack the dog was seized.

Cemino was jailed for six months, with 47 days reckoned as time already served.

He was also fined $2300 and ordered to pay $2550 in compensation for the bank ATM damage and $300 damage for the door attacked with the hammer.