Adolf Von Eimin spared jail, ordered to pay vet bill, for leaving cat in steel jaw trap for two hours and vowing to ‘execute it’

A man snared his neighbour’s cat in a steel jaw trap and left her “meowing in pain” for two hours, a court has heard.

A Rosewater man snared his neighbour’s cat in an illegally-set steel jaw trap, left her “meowing in pain” for two hours and vowed to “execute” her, a court has heard.

On Friday, the Port Adelaide Magistrates Court convicted Adolf Von Eimin of multiple animal cruelty offences over his ill treatment of Lunar, a four-year-old female.

Lunar was rescued by her owners and rushed to a vet – Von Eimin, meanwhile, reset the trap and created a brick “funnel” to direct cats into it.

On Saturday, RSPCA chief inspector Andrew Baker said South Australian law did not prohibit a person from possessing a steel jaw trap – but it was illegal to set one to catch prey.

“These are barbaric devices that inflict terrible injuries and cause enormous suffering,” he said.

Lunar the four-year-old cat, who survived being left in a steel jaw trap for two hours. Picture: RSPCA

Lunar was rescued by her owners and rushed to a vet – Von Eimin, meanwhile, reset the trap and created a brick “funnel” to direct cats into it. Picture: RSPCA

“It’s tragic to think that some animals could become trapped and never found, leaving

them to die in agony.

“From RSPCA’s perspective, there’s no good reason to own a steel-jaw trap.”

Von Eimin, 71, pleaded guilty to ill treating an animal to cause death or serious harm, and to setting a jawed leg hold trap for an animal.

The offences carry a maximum penalty of four years’ jail or a $50,000 fine.

On Friday, an RSPCA prosecutor said Lunar was last seen by her owners on March 2, 2024, and they had made flyers seeking information about her whereabouts.

Adolf Von Eimin's backyard at Rosewater, including the brick "funnel" that led to the steel jawed trap. Picture: RSPCA,

Two days later, one of the owners heard Lunar meowing from Von Eimin’s yard, saw her trapped and told him “You have my cat, I want my cat back”.

Von Eimin, the prosecutor said, replied there was no proof the cat was hers and said he was “going to execute” it.

The woman phoned her partner and, when Von Eimin again refused to release Lunar, the man jumped the fence, freed the cat, photographed the trap and alerted the RSPCA.

While Lunar underwent surgery for crush injuries, inspectors attended Von Eimin’s house to find he had reset the trap and arranged bricks to direct animals toward it.

Inspectors then triggered the trap, using a metal pole, and seized it.

Adolf Von Eimin's backyard at Rosewater, including the brick "funnel" that led to the steel jawed trap. Picture: RSPCA,

In a subsequent interview, they said, Von Eimin admitted he knew Lunar was in the trap and that he had left her “meowing in pain” for two hours. Picture: RSPCA,

In a subsequent interview, they said, Von Eimin admitted he knew Lunar was in the trap and that he had left her “meowing in pain” for two hours, fully aware of who owned her.

In sentencing, Magistrate Aaron Almeida said Von Eimin’s advanced age, lack of prior criminal history and “ignorance” of the trap’s illegality were factors to consider.

He sentenced Von Eimin to a six-month good-behaviour bond, and ordered he reimburse Lunar’s owners her full $4177 vet bill.

Outside court, Mr Baker said steel jaw traps had no place in the community.

“We encourage anyone who has one to turn it into scrap metal so that there is no possibility of it ever falling into the hands of a person who wants to harm animals,” he said.