Accused hockey stick attacker allegedly broke dog out of pound

Months after allegedly breaking his dog out of a Canberra pound, a man apparently went on to repeatedly attack his housemate with a hockey stick.

The lawyer for 35-year-old Kyle Martin Hiscox has said he will plead guilty over both incidents, as well as to a third incident involving his client allegedly shoulder-charging a ranger, but the details of his crimes that he will admit to were not immediately clear to Region.

However, ACT Policing originally said on 21 January 2024, officers received a report of an alleged overnight burglary and missing dog from the ACT Government Domestic Animal Services (DAS) facility in Symonston.

Hiscox had allegedly broken into a cage where a seven-month-old dog was housed. Police said the dog was soon found at his home.

“The dog had previously been seized from the man for non-compliance with ownership requirements,” police said at the time.

Hiscox was charged with burglary over this incident and granted bail before later moving into a north Canberra share house.

Then, on the night of 6 August 2024, one of his housemates was watching TV in his bedroom when Hiscox entered with a wooden hockey stick and allegedly used it to hit him in the foot.

The attacker allegedly asked where a pistol-style firearm and bayonet-style knife were, but the housemate said he didn’t know.

Hiscox allegedly used the hockey stick to hit the housemate in the stomach, arm and leg before soon returning and showing him a bright light.

“You know what I am, don’t you? You ever tell anybody about this and the last thing you’re gonna see is a bright light like this,” he allegedly said before he headbutted the housemate.

Police originally said the housemate stayed at the home out of fear of retaliation and felt unable to report the incident until a few days later.

Hiscox was arrested that month and police found three hockey sticks in his bedroom.

He remained in custody until he faced the ACT Magistrates Court on Monday (14 October), where the court heard he would plead guilty to five counts of assault and one count of making a threat to kill over the hockey stick incident, as well as to one count of burglary over the DAS incident.

He will also plead guilty to another assault charge over an incident in which he allegedly shoulder-charged a ranger.

Hiscox applied for bail, which was opposed by the prosecutor, who alleged that the hockey stick assault had caused significant injury to the housemate.

The defence lawyer, Legal Aid’s Edward Chen, said the dog from the burglary, Nova, was with DAS and his client understood that was the end of the matter. A dog involved in the ranger incident, Stella, was with his client’s partner.

“It seems to me some of the incidents seem to be related to his anxiety about dogs,” Magistrate Ken Archer said.

Mr Chen said the burglary was “a rather unique instance of burglary where he’s breaking a dog out of a pound”, pointing out it was a commercial property, not residential.

He argued that incredibly strict bail conditions could mitigate the court’s concerns, including his client continuing rehabilitation to rid himself of substance dependency.

Magistrate Archer said the alleged “level of violence” in the hockey stick assault concerned him and pointed out that the incident had been captured on video.

He said this alleged assault had been committed when Hiscox was already on bail for his burglary charge.

“My greatest concern is in relation to risks of reoffending while on bail,” he said.

Bail was refused. Mr Chen said his client wanted to be committed to the Drug and Alcohol Sentencing List over the burglary and hockey stick incidents.

These cases will first appear in the Supreme Court on 30 October, while the ranger incident will be in the Magistrates Court for sentencing on 31 October.