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An alcoholic who used to consume up to 30 drinks a day has avoided further time behind bars over a “vicious and nasty” attack, in which he stabbed two dogs and strangled their owner. Mark Anthony Davis, 45, was sentenced in the ACT Supreme Court on Thursday to three years and eight months in jail. Acting Justice Richard Refshauge suspended the term immediately, taking into account the 202 days Davis spent in custody on remand, and imposed an 18-month drug and alcohol treatment order. Davis had previously pleaded guilty to aggravated burglary, strangulation, property damage, possessing a knife with intent, two counts of animal cruelty and three counts of common assault. In sentencing, Acting Justice Refshauge said the charges related to a bloody July 2020 incident, which was partially caught on camera. “I saw [the video] and it showed a quite vicious and nasty altercation,” he said. The judge said that on the afternoon in question, Davis approached three brothers who were kicking a football in the Charnwood cul-de-sac he had once lived in. Davis, who was drunk and had been swearing to himself, asked why the trio was hanging around “the junkie’s house”. He called one of the brothers a “soft cock” and did not take kindly to being told to leave them alone, walking to a nearby shed and grabbing a knife. Davis threatened to stab the eldest brother, prompting a female neighbour to come outside and yell at the 45-year-old. An enraged Davis ran at the woman and chased her into her house as she tried to hold the door shut. The woman’s dogs came to her defence and Davis retreated to the front of the property, where he stabbed one of the animals in the head. He then punched the woman a number of times in the face after she started hitting him with a pole in fear. Davis briefly left, but returned with a trolley that he used to break two windows while shouting death threats. He then grabbed the woman by the throat and dragged her across the front yard. “She struggled to breathe to the point where she thought she was going to die,” Acting Justice Refshauge said. Both the woman and the second dog began biting Davis, who stabbed that dog in the torso. Eventually, the woman grabbed the knife off Davis and stabbed him twice in the legs to make him let go. Davis left for a second time after being tackled by two of the woman’s neighbours, and he was arrested at his home in Gungahlin later that day. Acting Justice Refshauge told Davis on Thursday that his behaviour had been “pretty awful really, to put it mildly”. But he said the 45-year-old smash repairer, who was “heavily intoxicated” at the time of the offending, had expressed remorse and had shown the beginning of a commitment to rehabilitation by abstaining from alcohol since his arrest. Should Davis successfully complete his drug and alcohol treatment program, he will be able to serve the balance of his sentence on a good behaviour order. He left court on Thursday laughing with a supporter, who joked after spotting news cameras that Davis was “going to be famous”. Our journalists work hard to provide local, up-to-date news to the community. This is how you can continue to access our trusted content:
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Dog-stabbing alcoholic given chance after ‘vicious’ attack
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The 45-year-old stabbed two dogs and strangled their owner in broad daylight in a Charnwood cul-de-sac.
news, crime,
2021-04-16T04:30:00+10:00
https://players.brightcove.net/3879528182001/default_default/index.html?videoId=6228979562001
https://players.brightcove.net/3879528182001/default_default/index.html?videoId=6228979562001
Mark Davis attacks a woman in a Charnwood cul-de-sac.
An alcoholic who used to consume up to 30 drinks a day has avoided further time behind bars over a “vicious and nasty” attack, in which he stabbed two dogs and strangled their owner.
Mark Anthony Davis, 45, was sentenced in the ACT Supreme Court on Thursday to three years and eight months in jail.
Acting Justice Richard Refshauge suspended the term immediately, taking into account the 202 days Davis spent in custody on remand, and imposed an 18-month drug and alcohol treatment order.
Davis had previously pleaded guilty to aggravated burglary, strangulation, property damage, possessing a knife with intent, two counts of animal cruelty and three counts of common assault.
In sentencing, Acting Justice Refshauge said the charges related to a bloody July 2020 incident, which was partially caught on camera.
“I saw [the video] and it showed a quite vicious and nasty altercation,” he said.
Mark Anthony Davis, right, leaves court on Thursday. Picture: Blake Foden
The judge said that on the afternoon in question, Davis approached three brothers who were kicking a football in the Charnwood cul-de-sac he had once lived in.
Davis, who was drunk and had been swearing to himself, asked why the trio was hanging around “the junkie’s house”.
He called one of the brothers a “soft cock” and did not take kindly to being told to leave them alone, walking to a nearby shed and grabbing a knife.
Davis threatened to stab the eldest brother, prompting a female neighbour to come outside and yell at the 45-year-old.
An enraged Davis ran at the woman and chased her into her house as she tried to hold the door shut.
The woman’s dogs came to her defence and Davis retreated to the front of the property, where he stabbed one of the animals in the head.
He then punched the woman a number of times in the face after she started hitting him with a pole in fear.
A screenshot of a video that shows Mark Davis attacking the woman.
Davis briefly left, but returned with a trolley that he used to break two windows while shouting death threats.
He then grabbed the woman by the throat and dragged her across the front yard.
“She struggled to breathe to the point where she thought she was going to die,” Acting Justice Refshauge said.
Both the woman and the second dog began biting Davis, who stabbed that dog in the torso.
Eventually, the woman grabbed the knife off Davis and stabbed him twice in the legs to make him let go.
Davis left for a second time after being tackled by two of the woman’s neighbours, and he was arrested at his home in Gungahlin later that day.
Acting Justice Refshauge told Davis on Thursday that his behaviour had been “pretty awful really, to put it mildly”.
But he said the 45-year-old smash repairer, who was “heavily intoxicated” at the time of the offending, had expressed remorse and had shown the beginning of a commitment to rehabilitation by abstaining from alcohol since his arrest.
Should Davis successfully complete his drug and alcohol treatment program, he will be able to serve the balance of his sentence on a good behaviour order.
He left court on Thursday laughing with a supporter, who joked after spotting news cameras that Davis was “going to be famous”.
Our journalists work hard to provide local, up-to-date news to the community. This is how you can continue to access our trusted content:
