Noel Francis Heinecke, 69, was sentenced by the Queanbeyan Resident Court on Monday. Image: Claire Fenwicke.
CONTENT CAUTION: This short article talks about animal ruthlessness.
A retired farmer shot and killed a puppy that was a family pet to his neighbour’s kids, then declined to return the dog’s body so its owners might bury it.
Noel Francis Heinecke found the 12-month-old border collie appearing to go after sheep and lambs at his little farm in Murrumbateman on the early morning of 25 June, 2022, files tendered to the Queanbeyan Resident Court state.
He captured the young puppy, led it away on a piece of cable and protected it in a pen. He entered into his house to get a.22-calibre rifle, then returned and shot it as soon as in the head. Later on, he put the dog’s body into a chaff bag and concealed it under a stack of leaves.
The puppy had actually been among his neighbours’ kids’s animal. When the neighbour got to Heinecke’s house not long after the shooting, he was informed what occurred, so he requested for the dog’s body back. Heinecke declined.
When authorities got here to talk with him, he stated he thought he was within his rights to eliminate the puppy due to the fact that it was a hazard to his sheep. He likewise informed them this was a continuous problem and seeing the dog on his home made him upset.
Nevertheless, authorities informed him that as the collie had actually been protected in a pen, it was no longer a hazard.
Authorities likewise talked to the neighbour, who stated the collie had actually still been a puppy so would not have actually injured sheep. He stated all he desired was for the body to be returned so they might bury it.
Heinecke was still hesitant to do this when authorities went back to him, stating he believed the neighbour would picture the dog’s body and utilize it versus him if he provided it over, however ultimately he relented.
Authorities took the dog’s body back to its house in a bag, alerting the neighbour not to look within as it was bloody.
They went back to talk with Heinecke a couple of days later on and he once again confessed shooting the dog while it remained in a pen, then he was later on charged.
Now residing in Wamboin, 69-year-old Heinecke pleaded guilty to charges of dedicating an act of ruthlessness on an animal and not providing a taken animal to its owner, council or authorized properties.
He was founded guilty, fined $200 and sentenced to a 12-month neighborhood corrections order by the Queanbeyan Resident Court on Monday (14 November).
