KEY POINTS:
A Napier man swung a puppy through the air on a chain and bashed it with a bicycle seat as horrified children looked on, Napier District Court has been told.
The details of the Boxing Day abuse on the busy Gloucester St, through Greenmeadows and Taradale, emerged when Edward James Hazel, 36, appeared in court yesterday.
He pleaded guilty to one charge of ill-treating the puppy, two of threatening to injure women who saw the incident, and one charge of disorderly behaviour.
Hazel also pleaded guilty to a charge of failing to comply with a condition of supervision, that he must attend an anger-management course.
Hazel told Judge Geoff Rea that he always "faced the music" for his misdemeanours, but didn't agree with everything the police said about what happened during the incident on Boxing Day.
Police prosecutor Sergeant Malcolm Lochrie said witnesses saw Hazel yelling at the puppy as it cowered under a vehicle.
When the puppy wouldn't keep up with his bike, Hazel took the seat off and struck the animal amid another tirade of abuse.
When he saw a woman watching, he asked if she wanted to see the puppy die, and swung it around on its chain, the court heard.
Threats to the woman followed as people pleaded with him to stop his abuse, and they retreated into their homes in fear.
Hazel left the area dragging the puppy by its chain.
Hazel was remanded on bail to appear in court for sentence on January 25.
- NZPA
