A TEENAGER accused of assaulting a relative at Raymond Terrace earlier this month threw an eight-week old puppy against a wall so hard that it put a hole in the gyprock, according to court documents.
Jayden Ballangarry-Blair, 18, appeared in Raymond Terrace Local Court on Tuesday where he pleaded guilty to aggravated animal cruelty over the act that led to cattle x kelpie puppy "Dax" suffering a broken leg that needed to be amputated.
But Mr Ballangarry-Blair, who was granted bail earlier this month to live at an address at Macksville, pleaded not guilty to a charge of assault occasioning actual bodily harm in relation to an alleged attack left the owner of the puppy, a 24-year-old man, with an injury to his eye.
He will face a hearing in August in relation to the assault and in May his solicitor plans to have the animal cruelty charge dealt with under the mental health and cognitive impairment act.
According to police, Mr Ballangarry-Blair and the 24-year-old male relative became involved in an altercation at a house at Raymond Terrace about 7.30pm on March 2 that left the older man with an injury to his eye.
The next morning, when the alleged victim returned to the house at Raymond Terrace to pick up some belongings, the pair again started arguing and Mr Ballangarry-Blair grabbed the alleged victim's eight-week old puppy and threw the dog into a wall, causing a hole in the gyprock.
As a result of the impact the dog suffered a broken leg and was taken to Williams River Veterinary Clinic at Clarence Town where it was determined that the dog's leg would need to be amputated, according to court documents.
About 7pm on March 3 police say they went to Maitland Hospital where Mr Ballangarry-Blair was being discharged after a mental health assessment.
He was taken to Raymond Terrace police station where he refused to be interviewed and was charged.
He was refused bail by police overnight before appearing in court where he was granted bail on a number of conditions, including reporting to police and residing in Macksville.
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