Shocking act of animal cruelty laid bare in Toowoomba court

A man who killed a female dog, causing her undue pain and suffering, has been spared jail time. Here’s why he said he did it.

Daniel Jay Blackett was spared jail time after he pleaded guilty to killing a dog (serious animal cruelty) and fraud before the Toowoomba Magistrates Court on Friday, July 11, 2025.

When police responded to reports of a foul smell coming from a Toowoomba home, officers uncovered a dead dog which was killed in inhumane circumstances.

The Toowoomba Magistrates court heard the dog’s killer, Daniel Jay Blackett, cried for hours after ending the female dog’s life and couldn’t look at his reflection in the mirror.

The 26-year-old pleaded guilty to one charge of serious animal cruelty before the court on Friday, July 11, where he was spared jail time for the crime.

Daniel Jay Blackett was spared jail time after he pleaded guilty to killing a dog (serious animal cruelty) and fraud before the Toowoomba Magistrates Court on Friday, July 11, 2025.

Police prosecutor Alister Windsor said Blackett gave a number of versions of events to police about how the dog ended up dead, however none were consistent with the evidence.

He said the adult dog, which was found in a backyard zip-tied inside a plastic bag, had ligature marks on her neck, which were consistent with strangulation.

Mr Windsor said one version of events provided to police by Blackett was that the dog died when he intervened in a fight between the dog and a puppy.

He said when police inspected the puppy, it was clear Blackett had lied.

Mr Windsor said Blackett should be sentenced to a eight to 10 months jail term for the serious offence, and be prohibited from owning another dog or animal.

Blackett also pleaded guilty to two unrelated charges of fraud, which occurred in 2021.

Blackett is not allowed to own a pet for the next two years.

Solicitor Sean Gallagher told the court the NDIS recipient wasn’t the mastermind behind the $9400 that had been transferred out of a Toowoomba woman’s bank account.

He said Blackett was essentially a mule as the money was transferred into and out of his bank account, however he did withdrawal $350 of the money.

The court heard Blackett was aware of the fraud scheme and did nothing to stop it.

In regards to the animal cruelty charge, Mr Gallagher said Blackett did not intentionally lie to police, rather he had issues with his memory because of his mental health and low-level mental impairment.

Mr Gallagher said Blackett didn’t own the dog and was using meth at the time of both crimes.

The court heard Blackett did not have a relevant or lengthy criminal history.

Blackett was placed on a two-year probation order and ordered to pay $350 in restitution.

Convictions were recorded and he was prohibited from owning an animal for two years.

Originally published as Shocking act of animal cruelty laid bare in Toowoomba court