Go or I'll shoot pony, boy told

Reilly Webber, pictured with sister Lily, 7, says a neighbour threatened to shoot their pony. Photo / Dean Purcell

A former SPCA general manager has been warned by police after threatening to shoot a young boy's pony after it strayed on to his property.

Pukekohe officers were called to David Lloyd-Barker's home, south of Auckland, on Monday after 11-year-old Reilly Webber's mother Abby Mills-Webber phoned 111 to report the threat.

Kale the pony had escaped from the family's 16ha Bombay property on to the road. Young Reilly tried to catch the animal, but he couldn't stop it running into Mr Lloyd-Barker's yard.

The neighbours have had disputes about boundaries, a dressage arena and loose animals.

It was then, Mrs Mills-Webber says, that Mr Lloyd-Barker threatened her son. "He said to Reilly 'I'll give you five minutes to get off the property or I'm going to shoot your pony'.

"He's a bully and now he's threatening my 11-year-old."

Mr Lloyd-Barker said the horse came in through an open gate and "nearly ran over" his house guest.

He said the Mills-Webbers took every opportunity to complain about him and his house guests, and he questioned why Reilly was running around unsupervised.

His friend, Willow Schulte, said she saw the horse loose in the yard and raced outside.

"Being a horse lover I went out to try to catch it," she said.

"David was mowing and said 'leave it alone', but I said 'no I won't because it mustn't go near the road'."

Acting Sergeant Aaron Murphy said police had attended and warned Mr Lloyd-Barker.