Man 'killed partner for waking up dog'

A man who considered his dog a "child substitute" and rocked it to sleep every night murdered his partner because she woke the animal up, an Australian court has been told.

Anthony Sherna, 42, is accused of strangling Susanne Wild, 53, and burying her body in the backyard of their home at Tarneit in Melbourne's southwest. He's pleaded not guilty in the Victorian Supreme Court to murder.

The court was told Mr Sherna rocked his dog, Hubble, to sleep every night and that the animal was a "child substitute". As he was nursing the animal in February last year, Ms Wild approached him, still angry over a mobile phone bill, and woke up the dog.



Prosecutor Maitland Lincoln said Mr Sherna put the Jack Russell-Maltese Terrier cross to bed in the laundry, then removed the cord from his dressing gown and strangled Ms Wild. He then went to the Plaza Tavern at Werribee where he played poker machines for four hours before going to a brothel.

After a couple of days, Ms Wild's body began to smell so Mr Sherna wrapped it in sheets and fastened it with rope and plastic. The court was told he took his dog to a pet resort, then buried his de facto in the backyard, adding a row of plants alongside the grave. The accounts manager later confessed to police, telling them Ms Wild had screamed and caused Hubble to shake with fright.

Defence lawyer Jane Dixon SC said Mr Sherna had always intended to hand himself in to police and the jury had to decide whether he acted defensively.