Dylan Anthony Foster: Morawa man denies locking daughter in chicken cage and assaulting her with gel blaster

A Mid West man has pleaded not guilty to accusations he locked his daughter in a chicken cage as punishment and, on a separate occasion, shot at her with a gel blaster. However, he pleaded guilty to a number of other charges including attempting to get a witness to change their statement to police. Dylan Anthony Foster was charged with deprivation of liberty, unlawful assault causing bodily harm, attempting to pervert justice, possessing a prohibited weapon, stealing and home burglary. Mr Foster pleaded not guilty to the first two charges, and guilty to the latter. The Morawa man was in custody and appeared via video link on remand for attempting to pervert justice after trying to get a witness to change a statement they made to police. Mr Foster allegedly locked his 11-year-old daughter in a chicken cage between November 26 and 27 as punishment for taking a bracelet. Geraldton Magistrates Court was previously told the girl was left locked in the cage for 30 minutes and tried to climb out, but was unable to. Police allege Mr Foster told his daughter she could “use her skateboard as a mattress, basketball as a pillow and beanie as a blanket.” In a separate occasion in 2021, he allegedly shot his daughter repeatedly with a gel blaster. Mr Foster pleaded guilty to possessing the gel blaster but denied committing assault on his daughter. He will appear in the District Court on April 5 and will have a committal mention on May 4.