A Gate Pa man charged with being the owner of a Staffordshire bull terrier-cross which attacked and injured a local meter reader has been refused a transfer of the matter to another court.
Benjamin Jo Graham, 28, who failed to appear in Tauranga District Court today, instead sought to have the prosecution case transferred to Manukau District Court on an intimated guilty plea.
Tauranga City Council's animal services officer Brent Lincoln opposed the application, and the transfer request was refused by Judge Thomas Ingram.
Graham's next appearance is in Tauranga District Court on May 20 and he is expected enter a plea to a charge of being the owner of dog which attacked a person and caused serious injury on that day.
The offence is alleged to have occurred on February 19 this year during Clive Claridge's visit to Graham's then Tom Muir Drive property to read the meter.
