Brookfield: Michael Kevin Johns allegedly drove into cow, slit its throat
A Hunter Valley man has faced court accused of running down a pregnant cow with his vehicle, before he slit its throat and allowed his dogs to bite the severely wounded animal.
Newcastle
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A Hunter Valley man — who police allege deliberately drove into a heifer breaking its leg, before slitting its throat and allowing his dogs to stalk and harass it as it suffered — has pleaded not guilty in Dungog Local Court on Wednesday.
Michael Kevin Johns, 37, was charged with animal cruelty after police allege in December last year he attacked an Australian lowline heifer — a family pet which was four months pregnant at the time — on a neighbouring property at Brookfield, near Dungog.
Police allege in court documents Mr Johns drove a vehicle into the heifer breaking its rear right leg.
He then allegedly took a pocket knife and slit its throat, as the animal suffered, police claim.
Next, Mr Johns allegedly allowed up to 15 of his Maremma sheepdogs to stalk, harass and bite the severely wounded animal for up to four hours and 20 minutes.
The distraught heifer’s owner discovered the injured animal and was forced to euthanise it, before reporting it to police.
Following an investigation by Hunter Valley Rural Crime Investigators and Dungog police, Mr Johns gave himself up at Gosford Police Station and was arrested last month.
The owner told The Newcastle News having to kill his pet cow was very distressing and no farmer wants to have to do that, especially during the hard times of the drought.
He explained his other heifers were petrified following the alleged attack and have only just started to get back to normal behaviour.
Mr Johns has been charged with torture, beat and seriously injure animal; torture, beat and cause prolonged suffering to animal and aggravated cruelty upon an animal.
He is also facing charges of dog attack due to owner’s reckless act where police allege his dogs strayed from his property in January and chased and harassed a number of horses.
As well, he us facing two counts of fail to prevent dog from escaping on occasions in January and February.
In addition, Mr Johns has new charges, facing two counts of failing to provide veterinary treatment for a Maremma sheepdog puppy, where the animal was found to have poor body condition and intestinal parasitism.
He has pleaded not guilty to all charges.
He will continue his strict conditional bail, his matter adjourned to Raymond Terrace Local Court next month.