The accused was charged with a variety of offences for a series of events that had occurred in May 2020 and resulted in the death of his neighbour’s dog. The neighbour testified that she had seen the accused with a gun and heard several gunshots as she had taken shelter in her home with her husband and child. Police arrived to find a shattered window and bulletholes in her husband’s truck and another neighbour’s ski-doo, and her deceased dog with fresh blood on and around it.
The accused was arrested and charged with six counts ranging from firearms offences to mischief under the Criminal Code, including s.445(1)(a) for killing the dog. At trial, the accused pleaded not guilty to all charges.
The judge concluded that the accused’s actions in shooting and killing the dog were wilful, as the dog had been previously healthy and other neighbours testified that they had heard the dog yelp around the same time that gunshots were heard.
The accused was found guilty on all six counts.