October 27, 2011

Jail for dog incident at polytech

By Anne Clarkson at the Rangiora Court House

The owner of a pit bull dog that frightened students at the Christchurch Polytechnic was jailed for a year at his sentencing in the Christchurch District Court today.

Khal Wiri Thompson, 33, had been released from prison, got drunk, and banged on the windows of the polytechnic, upsetting students working there. The dog was unleashed and prevented students from leaving the building.

He was asked to leave by a security officer, and when the police arrived he resisted arrest, head-butted an officer, and spat blood in his face.

At the sentencing in the Rangiora Court House, defence counsel Kirsty May said Thompson did not believe he or his dog were threatening, and he over-reacted with the police officer. He had told the security guard that his dog would kill on demand, but that was not the case.

He accepted he ought to stop drinking completely, and knew when he got angry it did not help, she said. His former partner now had the dog.

She said he had no support in the community and no suitable address for home detention.

Judge Colin Doherty said Thompson had a history of resisting police and prolific breaches of court orders.

He sentenced him on charges of disorderly behaviour, resisting police, assaulting police, a breach of his prison release conditions, and a breach of bail.

He said the police officer received minor injuries.