Minto Heights’ Daniel Brighton to await fate on animal cruelty charges

Warning graphic content: A man who used a pitchfork to stab a dog before hanging it in a tree and beating it with a sledgehammer will wait to learn his fate.

A man who used a pitchfork to stab a dog before hanging it in a tree and beating it with a sledgehammer will wait to hear his fate.

Daniel Brighton, 33, who was convicted, then cleared, of animal cruelty offences had his case revert back to the local court where a hearing was held last year.

The petting zoo owner fronted Campbelltown Local Court on Thursday for sentencing after he was found guilty of torturing, beating and causing the death of an animal and torturing, beating and seriously injuring an animal.

The Minto Heights man is the director of Get Wild and Farm Fields Mobile Farmyard.

The statement of facts showed that on January 14, 2016 one of the company’s camels had been attacked by two dogs.

Daniel Brighton.

It said Brighton caught one of the dogs, a Staffordshire Terrier, and tied it to a tree then stabbed it with a pitchfork.

Brighton then left the pitchfork stuck in the dog and left it to go to the vet to get painkillers for his camel.

Court documents said when Brighton returned he took the dog to a tree, strung it up on a branch then beat the animal with a sledgehammer until it was semi-conscious.

A witness recalled Brighton saying “the dog deserved it, it needs to be killed” and “the stupid thing wouldn’t die”.

Campbelltown Courthouse.

Brighton then wrapped the dog’s body in towels, and told one of his employees to bury it.

More than a year later, on August 31, 2017, police and RSPCA inspectors attended the property and found the animal remains.

In court on Thursday, the prosecution asked for an adjournment as the barrister who had been working on the case for three years was isolating as per Covid rules.

Brighton’s defence team opposed the delay and said the matter had been a “long haul” and he was ready to move past it.

Magistrate David Degnan adjourned the matter to May 19 for sentencing.