A Perth teacher in his 60s has been sentenced for threatening to kill his neighbour’s dogs, trespassing on their property and damaging an electric security gate.
Stephen Elford was sentenced at Joondalup Magistrates Court after a two-year legal process that included a trial following his not-guilty pleas to three charges.
The court heard that Elford entered the neighbouring property in Carabooda in October 2024 after damaging the gate. He threatened to kill the homeowner’s dogs and refused to leave when asked.
His lawyer, Rachel Robson, said there had been “months of tension and previous arguments” over the construction of an adjoining fence.
Elford had two rottweilers and a “bully breed” on his property when one was attacked, suffering a severe abdominal injury. His neighbours denied that their dogs were responsible, saying their animals had been secured in a shed and behind the security gate at the time.
Ms Robson said Elford had “acted in anger” after the incident and because his daughter had been extremely upset. “It’s a case of responding poorly to trauma,” she said.
She described Elford as a person of prior good character, a respected teacher and someone who regularly fostered dogs. She asked the court to record a spent conviction and not impose a violence restraining order, pointing to the absence of contact between Elford and his neighbours for more than a year.
Both requests were refused. Magistrate Andrew Maughan said Elford had deliberately lied to police during a recorded interview and in court, and had prolonged the proceedings.
“I think you will agree that these offences are not trivial,” he said. “And … he lied to avoid the consequences of his own actions.”
Mr Maughan said Elford had “wilfully and intentionally destroyed” his neighbour’s property and made threats.
“I accept it was a stressful situation, but your response was totally inappropriate. With some hindsight, you should have taken a deep breath,” he said.
A restraining order was imposed for two years.
Mr Maughan also rejected the application for a spent conviction, saying the Western Australian Department of Education should be made aware of the circumstances despite the offences not being related to Elford’s teaching work.
“In my view you don’t meet the criteria (for a spent conviction), given the way this trial was conducted … the Education Department should be made aware of the circumstances,” he said.
An education department spokesperson said a conviction for offences unrelated to a teacher’s job could still have implications for their employment and registration.
The court also heard a request had been made for compensation for thousands of dollars of damage. Elford said he would not pay, while the fence remains unrepaired.
“If he wants to get involved in another court case, in the civil courts, that’s up to him,” Mr Maughan said.
