The accused also told the victim he would give him “such a flogging” that “by the time he was found, there’d be nothing left of him”, Ballarat Magistrate’s Court was told on Tuesday.

Danny Geard, 38, had left his dog, vehicle and some belongings at a house where he‘d been staying in Ararat in May 2018.

The dog went missing soon after and Geard called the man on 27 June, accusing him of selling it for $1600 to pay for drugs.

Geard appeared in court charged with using a carriage service to menace and more than 20 other charges, including driving while suspended and dangerous driving, possession of a prohibited substance, outstanding warrants and breach of a intervention violence order,

Some of the driving charges arose from an incident on 19 Novermber 2017 when Geard was driving in Barkly Street, Ararat. 

Police stated the accused was driving unlicensed, had accelerated at speed, went through a stop sign, crossed over double lines, passed traffic on the wrong side of the road and when stopped, was “unsteady on his feet” and kept drinking from an opened bottle of alcohol in the car.

The court heard he was belligerent and abusive, requesting the “Fifth Amendment”, refusing a breath test and saying,”I’m drunk. I don’t give a sh**t”.

Defence counsel said Geard wanted to move away from Ararat and the negative influences there.

She said Geard had support and accommodation in Ballarat and a Community Corrections Order would enable him to receive help with his alcohol and drug issues.

Magistrate Robinson sentenced Geard to 57 days jail already served, a two-year concurrent licence suspension, $100 fine for not changing his licence address, and placed him on an 18-month, supervised corrections order.