yizuman
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August 18, 2009
A MELBOURNE woman whose former partner bashed her deaf son's dog so severely it had to be put down, is devastated her ex has won a reduction in his jail time.
Storm Oxburgh, 32, had drunk at least 10 full-strength beers and taken unprescribed morphine before repeatedly beating a Staffordshire terrier named Rocco about the head with a baseball bat on September 9, 2007.
After neighbours raised the alarm upon hearing Oxburgh scream, "I've killed him," he told police that it "was not a big deal".
In May, he was sentenced to 14 months' imprisonment, with a minimum term of eight months.
In the Victorian County Court, Oxburgh had his sentenced reduced on appeal to 12 months' jail. He is to serve two months immediately and the remaining eight months will be suspended for two years.
After Judge Tony Duckett's ruling, Oxburgh's former de facto wife, Vanessa Hansen, screamed: "You rot! You piece of s***!"
Outside court, she told of her devastation that Oxburgh, who is in a relationship with another woman and has a three-month-old child, only has to serve two months behind bars.
"He can play happy families and move on with his life," Ms Hansen said outside court.
"What about me and my son and my life? It's gone."
Ms Hansen initially told her deaf son Bailey that Rocco escaped onto the street and was hit by a car.
But now Bailey, aged 11, knows the truth of his dog's fate and was seeing a psychologist.
Oxburgh's lawyer James Dowsley said his client had a difficult childhood and long standing alcohol and drug abuse issues.
He said at the time of the incident, Oxburgh was going through an unstable period of his life but was now living in significantly different circumstances with his current partner in Frankston, in Melbourne's south-east, and their newborn child.
"He is a good father, he is a breadwinner and he is coping in life in a dramatically different way to when ... this occurred," Mr Dowsley said.
Prosecutor Paul Moran said the sentence imposed by Magistrate Jenny Grubissa was not outside the range for the two charges of aggravated cruelty causing death to an animal and failing to provide veterinary attention or other treatment.
Judge Duckett said the only explanation for Oxburgh's behaviour was that he was drunk and under the influence of drugs.
He said he had to take into account the fact he was now a father and the sole income earner supporting his child.
Source: Man who based deaf boy's dog wins less jail time | The Australian
What the hell? He should've gotten a life sentence, not only he murdered a poor defenseless dog, he murdered the heart of the little boy who loved his dog.
Once again, the justice system fails the innocence.
Yiz
A MELBOURNE woman whose former partner bashed her deaf son's dog so severely it had to be put down, is devastated her ex has won a reduction in his jail time.
Storm Oxburgh, 32, had drunk at least 10 full-strength beers and taken unprescribed morphine before repeatedly beating a Staffordshire terrier named Rocco about the head with a baseball bat on September 9, 2007.
After neighbours raised the alarm upon hearing Oxburgh scream, "I've killed him," he told police that it "was not a big deal".
In May, he was sentenced to 14 months' imprisonment, with a minimum term of eight months.
In the Victorian County Court, Oxburgh had his sentenced reduced on appeal to 12 months' jail. He is to serve two months immediately and the remaining eight months will be suspended for two years.
After Judge Tony Duckett's ruling, Oxburgh's former de facto wife, Vanessa Hansen, screamed: "You rot! You piece of s***!"
Outside court, she told of her devastation that Oxburgh, who is in a relationship with another woman and has a three-month-old child, only has to serve two months behind bars.
"He can play happy families and move on with his life," Ms Hansen said outside court.
"What about me and my son and my life? It's gone."
Ms Hansen initially told her deaf son Bailey that Rocco escaped onto the street and was hit by a car.
But now Bailey, aged 11, knows the truth of his dog's fate and was seeing a psychologist.
Oxburgh's lawyer James Dowsley said his client had a difficult childhood and long standing alcohol and drug abuse issues.
He said at the time of the incident, Oxburgh was going through an unstable period of his life but was now living in significantly different circumstances with his current partner in Frankston, in Melbourne's south-east, and their newborn child.
"He is a good father, he is a breadwinner and he is coping in life in a dramatically different way to when ... this occurred," Mr Dowsley said.
Prosecutor Paul Moran said the sentence imposed by Magistrate Jenny Grubissa was not outside the range for the two charges of aggravated cruelty causing death to an animal and failing to provide veterinary attention or other treatment.
Judge Duckett said the only explanation for Oxburgh's behaviour was that he was drunk and under the influence of drugs.
He said he had to take into account the fact he was now a father and the sole income earner supporting his child.
Source: Man who based deaf boy's dog wins less jail time | The Australian
What the hell? He should've gotten a life sentence, not only he murdered a poor defenseless dog, he murdered the heart of the little boy who loved his dog.
Once again, the justice system fails the innocence.
Yiz