A man accused of animal cruelty over an alleged violent attack on a pet dog in a Bunnings Warehouse carpark in Adelaide’s northern suburbs now has an active arrest warrant against him after failing to appear in court for a second time.
Forty-eight-year-old Nathan Bradwell, a resident of nearby Smithfield, was captured on camera in March this year delivering two separate kicks to the head of 4-year-old Staffordshire bull terrier Maya inside the parking lot of the Bunnings Parafield outlet. He was subsequently charged with ill-treatment of an animal, a charge he has publicly denied, claiming he acted out of self-defense during the confrontation.
Bradwell’s repeated absence from court proceedings has added to the frustration of the case. He first failed to attend a scheduled hearing on May 11, though he did appear before a judge one month later on June 10. But on Thursday, he again failed to show up for his scheduled hearing at Elizabeth Magistrates Court. Magistrate Karim Soetratma approved the issuance of an arrest warrant with no bail granted, meaning Bradwell will be held in police custody immediately after he is taken into custody until his next scheduled court appearance.
The dog’s owners, Hayden Palkovics and Tyler Wright, have attended every court hearing to date, marking their fourth consecutive in-person appearance for the case. Speaking after Thursday’s proceeding, Palkovics expressed deep frustration with the repeated delays. “It is beyond frustrating. Now it is just a waiting game. This was round 4 for us and we just really hope he shows up for round 5,” he said.
Despite the traumatic incident four months ago, Palkovics confirmed Maya is now in good health and enjoying a normal, happy life with the couple. “She is still doing very well and lives the dream life, as she should,” he added. Wright said the pair remains committed to seeing the case through to ensure accountability for the attack, noting that they will continue to show up to every hearing to advocate for Maya, who cannot speak for herself in court.
When Bradwell first appeared in court on April 14, he told reporters outside the courthouse, with his face covered by a jacket, that he had only acted to remove the dog from himself in self-defense. Footage of the alleged attack circulated widely across social media platforms shortly after the March 1 incident, sparking widespread public anger over the treatment of the animal. The case will be next called before the court once Bradwell is taken into custody.