Assault conviction for Christchurch man who uses dead chicken as a weapon

A dead chicken is not the first thing that comes to mind as a handy weapon to have on hand. But a man has been charged in the Christchurch District Court for assault, using a chicken as a weapon.

A dead chicken is not the first thing that comes to mind as a handy weapon to have on hand.

But a man has been charged in the Christchurch District Court for assault, using a chicken as a weapon.

Christchurch Court News reported the charge followed an incident on July 28 after an enraged chicken owner was said to have taken to the owner of the dog that had attacked his flock.

Sean Brian Unwin, a 49-year-old solo dad, from the Christchurch suburb of Richmond had, in his fury over the loss of his chickens, taken to the dog owner with one of the carcasses.

His defence counsel, Kiran Paima described the crime scene as a "blood bath".

Christchurch Court News reported the solo dad had taken great pride in the flock of chickens that lived in his yard.

On July 28, a number of the flock was killed, after a dog, which belonged to a builder working at a next door property escaped and got into the chicken yard.

Unwin then arrived to the scene of what's been described as carnage and a blood-bath, reported Christchurch Court News.

Paima said Unwin's family, including his grand-daughter were upset at the bloody scene.

A heated exchange of words followed which turned physical as Unwin brandished a dead chicken and hit the dog's owner with it.

Christchurch Court News reported Unwin, was initially charged with assault using a chicken as a weapon, and then using some very robust offensive language.

However, a few days after the incident the dog owner wrote a letter saying he didn't want the chicken owner prosecuted and that he was sorry about the loss of the chickens.

The dog owner accepted he didn't have his dog effectively controlled.

Meanwhile, Christchurch Court News reported Unwin pleaded not guilty and was remanded for a case review hearing.

When the case was up to be reviewed police prosecutor Sergeant Jeff Kay agreed there was some wriggle room available on charges, the publication reported.

He told Judge O'Driscoll that police could take the poultry pummelling out of the assault charge and drop the offensive language charge.

He also said police didn't think a penalty was warranted.

Unwin had also plead guilty to the amended assault charge.

The Judge, upon considering all facts of the case convicted Unwin and ordered him to come up for sentence in six months if called upon.