Simon Denzil Thomsen: Man faces Nanango court for baiting dog with 1080

*Warning distressing content. A South Burnett man admitted killing one of his neighbour‘s dogs by feeding it meat laced with 1080, with a witness reporting a second dog ‘convulsed and died within minutes’.

Two dogs died horrific deaths after a neighbour became so incensed by an attack on his animals he fed them 1080 poison laced meat instead of speaking to their owner.

Simon Denzil Thomsen said he carried out the poisoning of the mastiff after he witnessed a dog “mauling” his goat on his Glen Davon property on February 7, before finding six of his chickens dead.

He later found a bull mastiff he claimed in court was the animal that attacked his goat, and a dachshund.

While he denies feeding the dachshund the baits and only admitting to police he poisoned the mastiff, both dogs were soon dead, with a witness telling police she watched the dachshund begin convulsing and die “within minutes”.

Sodium fluoroacetate, a chemical commonly known by its brand name of 1080, is a highly toxic pesticide used by the government and private landholders to kill introduced “pest species” such as feral dogs, foxes, cats, rabbits and pigs in regular baiting programs.

Many proponents of the bait state 1080 is essential for farmers but opponents say animals die excruciating deaths and household pets are often unintentional victims.

Police became involved on February 8 when they responded to an assault complaint at Thomsen’s home, with the owner of the dogs telling officers he punched Thomsen because he baited his animals.

Thomsen faced Nanango Magistrates Court on April 4, charged with one count of injuring animals over the dogs’ deaths.

Police prosecutor Lisa Manns told the court that when police spoke to Thomsen, he told them he had made “no attempts to identify or speak to the owner of the dog”.

A self-represented Thomsen told Magistrate Andrew Sinclair the dogs were simply roaming the area and he decided to bait the mastiff to stop it from returning.

“I purchased the bait last year … it was my only option. I didn’t want the dog coming back later on during the day to finish the job,” he said.

Magistrate Sinclair fined Thomsen the minimum fine of $2205.60 and no conviction was recorded.