Peter William Smith set to appeal sentence after throwing live chicken to alligators at Oakvale Wildlife Park

A grandad who plucked a beloved chook named ‘Betty White’ from a wildlife park enclosure before tossing it into a pool of hungry alligators is now set to appeal the severity of his sentence.

Silkie chicken Betty White with some bush stone curlews she played surrogate mother to. Betty White was killed after allegedly being thrown into an alligator enclosure at Oakvale Wildlife Park. Picture: Oakvale Wildlife Park.

A Hunter grandad who was almost put behind bars for throwing a live chicken into an alligator enclosure at a local wildlife park in-front of horrified onlookers is set to appeal the severity of his sentence.

Peter William Smith was spared jail time in November last year after he pleaded guilty to one count of aggravated animal cruelty and was sentenced to a nine-month intensive correction order (ICO) – with an added 100 hours of community service.

The 58-year-old from Singleton took a white silkie bantam chicken - named ‘Betty White’ - from it’s exhibit at the popular Oakvale Wildlife Park on January 2nd, placed it inside his button up shirt before he walked over to the alligator enclosure and tossed it into the pond.

One of the two alligators inside the enclosure snapped the chook into its mouth, killing it immediately.

The severity appeal was scheduled to be heard at Newcastle District Court on Tuesday but Smith’s lawyer Bryan Wrench appeared via video link and informed Judge Roy Ellis of an adjournment.

Peter Smith (left) with his lawyer Bryan Wrench leaves Raymond Terrace Local Court. Pic: Amy Ziniak

He told the court he needed to gather more material for the appeal and also wanted to appear in person.

It was adjourned until April.

During the 58-year-old’s sentencing last year, the court heard Smith stayed to observe the incident for his own “viewing pleasure”.

Mr Wrench had argued due to his background as a farmer Smith was “desensitised” because he viewed chickens as simply a “food source”.

At the time he also said that his client – who had a lot of involvement raising animals which included running a donkey shelter program – just wanted to feed the alligators, which were in a small enclosure and it “got the better of him”.

But Police Prosecutor Mathew Barry argued the chicken was in a conservation park, hand-raised and part of a breeding program citing it was “cruel” and “traumatised the staff”.

The incident shocked the owners of the local wildlife park and they described Smith’s act as “callous” with a total disregard for animal welfare.

Magistrate Justin Peach said his actions had a “degree of sadism”, with his sentence handed down a strong message sent that this type of behaviour was not acceptable.

The chicken was said to have played a crucial role in the park’s endangered species breeding program for the bush stone curlew and other species by providing surrogacy to the chicks.