Intervention over puppy turns violent

A man who once punched his dog and was told by a judge he shouldn’t own such a pet has returned to court after violently attacking a man for allegedly mistreating a puppy.

Tyler Seth Franzen, 25, smashed his neighbour around the head at least three times with a fence post on the afternoon of June 11, 2019, the New Plymouth District Court heard on Wednesday.

Franzen was at his New Plymouth

address serving a sentence of home detention when he claims to have seen a dog being abused by its owner, Franzen’s neighbour, Judge Gregory Hikaka said.

Franzen went to the neighbour’s house and took the puppy, returning with it to his own property. This led to a confrontation between the two which saw Franzen pick up the post and swing it violently a number of times, Judge Hikaka said, causing a significant wound which needed stapling, and bruising to the skull.

Franzen was subsequently arrested and charged with injuring with the intent to injure, as well as one charge of possession of a cannabis plant, which he has admitted.

In court, it was heard Franzen has a history of violent offending.

In December 2015 he had been walking his dog in New Plymouth when two women noticed him mistreating the animal, records show.

He was seen punching the dog before lifting it up and throwing it on to the ground.

After Franzen noticed two women watching him, he threatened one with violence and verbally abused the pair before police turned up. He later headbutted an officer.

Franzen’s pattern of violent offending was troubling, Judge Allan Roberts said at the court hearing that followed the incident. ‘‘A man like this shouldn’t have a dog,’’ he said.

After asking the prosecuting sergeant why Franzen had not been charged for the violence he meted out to his pet, he was told it was because the dog could not be found.

In relation to the 2019 incident, defence lawyer Josie Mooney said drugs had been a factor in Franzen’s offending; however, he was now addressing the issue.

Franzen was remorseful for his actions and offered to pay his neighbour emotional harm reparation, Mooney said.

Judge Hikaka accepted Franzen was remorseful and that he was trying to repair the damage he had caused.

Franzen was sentenced to 10 months’ home detention and was ordered to pay the man $1000 reparation.