Remand for man who swung rabbit

An Auckland man accused of threatening Queen St pedestrians by swinging a rabbit at them has been named.

Graham Paul Brown, 53, was remanded on bail until March 17 when he appeared in the Auckland District Court yesterday.

He faces charges of assaulting a police officer, behaving in a disorderly manner on Queen St and ill-treating an animal.

Named Larry by the SPCA, the rabbit is described in court documents as a "lop rabbit, male, adult, fawn in colour".

Police say Brown stole the rabbit and swung it by its ears at pedestrians, while verbally abusing them. When officers arrived, he allegedly tried to hide the rabbit under his shirt and police had to wrestle the animal from him. It was now in a hutch at the SPCA awaiting its owners.