Five hospitalised after neighbourhood brawl over ownership of cat

A dispute over the ownership of a cat resulted in five people taken to hospital in Gympie, Australia. Two men have been charged after three households clashed over the ownership of a pet cat, with one group of people attacking the other with weapons, including a machete. Queensland Police Detective Senior Sergeant Gregg Davey of Gympie's Criminal Investigation Branch said five people were taken to hospital as a result of the neighbourhood battle, with two suffering from serious cuts to their bodies.

He said the dispute was an ongoing one that "boiled over" when police received numerous Triple Zero calls at around 11.30pm on Thursday. When they arrived they found several people injured and a man walking towards them with a machete in his hand. Police drew their guns and tasers and ordered the man to drop his weapon. After he complied, the 29-year-old was arrested and charged with going armed as to cause fear.



Det Snr Sgt Davey said a second man, a 26-year-old from Brisbane, has also been charged with two counts of grievous bodily harm. "Through our investigations so far we think there were seven people in total fighting," he said. "It was one house versus two houses it was an incident that boiled over. It eventuated over a cat. One group came armed with machetes, hammers and a steering wheel lock. It's such a basic neighbourly dispute. There are other avenues to sort these things out."

Det Snr Sgt Davey said police had no idea this problem existed between the households until Thursday night. Of the five taken to Gympie Hospital, two men and a woman have already been released while another two men were transferred to Nambour Hospital with serious injuries. One of the men released from hospital was the 26-year-old charged. It is understood the 26-year-old was merely a visitor to one of the households when he became involved in the melee. Police investigations into the incident are continuing.