Aron Couley pleads guilty to drug, animal cruelty offences

Details of a Dubbo man’s raft of rural crime offences have been exposed, including how he left goats tied to the back of his car in temperatues as low as 4C.

The bogged car police found Aron Couley alongside. Picture: NSW Police

A Dubbo man is behind bars for the first time after the car he was in got bogged in a paddock and he pleaded guilty to a raft of rural crime offences.

Aron Stephen Couley’s crime spree began when police busted him sleeping in a ute at Dundas Park in Narromine on July 13 last year.

Aron Couley. Picture: Facebook /Aron Couley

According to court documents, police noticed two goats in the back of the ute, one of which was tied to a cage by its horns on an “extremely short” 15 centimetre tether.

“All animals were shivering as the temperature was 4C … the goat was not able to move,” the court documents state.

Inside the car police found cannabis, ice and MDMA.

On July 25, Couley was found with a butchers-type skinning knife hidden under the passenger seat of a vehicle he was in at Goonoo National Park near Dubbo.

“If I see a bit of roadkill or something I can rip the leg off for the dogs,” he told police who questioned him.

Cannabis was found in the car and Couley was charged.

When police pulled Couley up for driving along Minore Road in Dubbo without a front registration plate on July 31, he gave them his credit card instead of a driver’s licence, according to court documents.

MDMA and a small amount of ice was found in his left sock.

A month later Couley went to the Woodlands Goat Depot in Narromine to sell 15 goats which were tied to the side of a trailer by their horns.

In court documents, police said the tethering of the goats unjustifiably inflicted pain on the animals and was not an ethical or humane way to transport livestock.

The car Couley was caught near. Picture: NSW Police

Investigations later revealed Couley delivered another 27 goats without the proper paperwork and with a statement he falsified so he could receive around $4700 he wasn’t entitled to.

Despite being on bail for all those offences, Couley trespassed on a property at Dandaloo on January 9.

He was caught by police after the car he was in got bogged and gave a false name to officers.

In court, Couley pleaded guilty to a string of possess prohibited drug charges, three counts of carrying animals and unjustifiably inflicting pain, one count of making a false document to obtain financial advantage, one count of giving a false name to police and two enter inclosed lands without lawful excuse charges.

During a bail hearing, the court heard Couley had a limited criminal record and had never been sentenced to time behind bars before.

Police prosecutor Michelle Bartlett said Couley’s behaviour showed he had no ability or desire to comply with any bail conditions.

“The sheer number of matters in the short period of time cause concern to the prosecution,” she said.

Magistrate Theresa Hamilton agreed and refused bail.

Couley is due to be sentenced in March.