A new development has unfolded in a widely shared animal cruelty case out of South Australia, where an arrest warrant is now active for a man accused of kicking a tethered dog in a suburban Bunnings Warehouse carpark, after he failed to appear for a scheduled court hearing.
The incident first made headlines across Australia on March 1, when a security camera clip captured a man striking a four-year-old Staffordshire bull terrier twice outside the Parafield Bunnings location, north of Adelaide. The video spread rapidly across social media, sparking widespread public anger over the treatment of the defenseless animal, which was tied to a ute parked in the lot at the time.
Authorities identified 48-year-old Nathan Bradwell of Smithfield as the suspect, and he was formally charged with ill-treatment of an animal in violation of South Australia’s Animal Welfare Act. Bradwell made his first court appearance on April 14, where he told reporters he was seeking legal counsel and planned to argue he acted in self-defense, claiming he was trying to move the dog away from his vehicle. He kept his face hidden under a jacket while speaking to the press outside the courtroom following that initial hearing.
Bradwell was scheduled to make his second appearance in the case at the Elizabeth Magistrates Court on Monday, but he never arrived. After noting Bradwell’s absence, Magistrate David White authorized the issuance of an arrest warrant to compel the suspect to attend a future hearing. Court officials confirmed that if Bradwell is convicted on the current charge, he could face a maximum custodial sentence of two years behind bars. The entire hearing lasted just over one minute.
Attending the hearing in Bradwell’s place were the dog’s current owners, Hayden Palkovics and Tyler Wright, along with the animal’s previous owner, who is a friend of the couple. In comments to reporters after the hearing, Wright expressed deep frustration and disappointment over Bradwell’s no-show, an action she said has left the pair unsettled.
“It is frustrating, annoying and irritating. I find it laughable that he did not show up,” Wright said, adding that the absence left the couple “really sad” that the case has been dragged out further. On a more positive note, she confirmed the dog that was attacked has fully recovered and is back to her normal, friendly temperament.
The case will be called back to court at a future date once Bradwell is taken into custody on the active arrest warrant.