Aussie tradies cop $126,000 in fines for 'disgusting and vile' act shared on social media
WARNING — GRAPHIC CONTENT: Three tradies have been fined a collective $126,000 in animal cruelty charges over what a magistrate described as an "absolutely disgusting, vile and reprehensible" attack against a pigeon with a golf club.
According to the RSPCA's Western Australia branch, the trio bragged about the disturbing incident online on social media, attracting swift criticism from both the authorities and animal rights groups alike.
The WA-based men, one aged 24 and two aged 30, all pleaded guilty to animal cruelty at the Kalgoorlie Magistrates Court on Monday. They were working at the Norseman Gold Project at the time of the offence on June 17, 2023.
The younger man was fined $48,000 while the older two were fined $39,000. All three had their applications for a spent conviction (a conviction for a crime that is not disclosed publicly) dismissed.
In the footage uploaded to Snapchat, one of the offenders was heard speaking to the pigeon, saying "be careful, alright? Because there's some bad c**** around here".
The video shows two men initially holding a white and grey pigeon, before the 24-year-old man strikes it with a golf club, sending the bird flying more than a metre through the air. The clip is captioned, "May his soul rest in peace," accompanied by a laughing emoji.
After the bird lands, both men are heard laughing. The 24-year-old then proceeded to hit the pigeon four more times, with feathers visibly falling out after each blow. He then picks the injured bird up by its foot, leaving it hanging upside down.
The pigeon remained alive and visibly moving throughout the assault, before the man placed it in a nearby skip bin. In sentencing, Magistrate William Yoo said the attack was "a disgusting and despicable thing to do", branding the offenders "incomprehensible" and "abominable".
"[The act] was absolutely disgusting, vile and reprehensible," he said. "[The pigeon's] distress was evident, and the pigeon was an innocent and vulnerable animal."
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Magistrate Yoo said the younger man knew what he was doing and there was a "degree of persistence" in his actions. He told each offender they "egged each other on" and "betrayed [their] own humanity". "[This is a] very serious and shocking matter which should shock the public's conscience," he said.
RSPCA WA Inspector Manager Kylie Green echoed the strong sentiment.
"There is never an excuse to torment or abuse an animal," she said. "The fines handed down today are profoundly significant, and it is hoped the message is loud and clear to those who think that cruelty towards animals is okay." Two of the men were also sentenced under sections 7 and 8 of the Criminal Code. It was found that they aided and encouraged the third offender to commit the offence.
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