The Associated Press: 04/06/08, 09:07:30 PM PDT
Wellington, New Zealand - A New Zealand man has been accused of assault with a prickly weapon - a hedgehog.
Police allege that William Singalargh, 27, picked up the hedgehog and threw it several yards to hit a 15-year-old boy in the North Island east coast town of Whakatane on February 9.
"It hit the victim in the leg, causing a large, red welt and several puncture marks," police Senior Sgt. Bruce Jenkins said Monday. The teen did not need medical treatment, he added.
It was not known whether the hedgehog was dead or alive at the time of the attack, but that it was dead when it was collected as evidence.
Singalargh was arrested shortly after the incident and charged with assault with a weapon. His lawyer, Rebecca Plunket, said Singalargh intends to plead innocent when he appears in court on April 17. The maximum penalty for the charge is five years in prison.
