Kitchener dog park dispute escalated to punches and kicks

A dispute between two men who lived in the same Kitchener apartment building spilled over into a dog park. One man punched the other on Aug. 15, 2021, knocking him down, court was told on Wednesday. He then punched and kicked the victim while he was on the ground.

The man begged him to stop the attack, which was recorded by a woman who was with the victim, said Crown prosecutor Katie Krafchick.

The assault happened around 2:30 p.m. at a dog park near their Mooregate Avenue apartment building. The accused, 35, pleaded guilty to assault.

He said the victim’s dog had previously bitten his dog. “It cost me mad money at the vet.”

The accused also claimed the man had previously threatened him and his girlfriend.

“It was going on for weeks, it was ridiculous,” the man told Justice John Lynch. “I called the police. The cops wouldn’t do nothing, so I took it into my own hands. I got sick of him threatening my girlfriend, threatening me … and I dealt with it myself.”

Lynch agreed to a recommendation from the Crown and the selfrepresented accused for a suspended sentence and one year of probation. The man faces a 10-year weapons ban, must give a DNA sample and can have no contact with the victim, who moved out of the building after the assault.

‘‘ I got sick of him threatening my girlfriend, threatening me … and I dealt with it myself. ACCUSED MAN WHO PLEADED GUILTY TO ASSAULT