Pregnant pet cow ‘Little Miss Maeve’ cruelly targeted by Michael Johns, run over and its throat cut

Gruesome images and a shocking video has emerged following the “cruel and callous” treatment of a pregnant pet cow, which died following a horrific assault. WARNING: GRAPHIC CONTENT.

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Gruesome images have now emerged of a pregnant pet cow who was brutally run down before its throat was slit, and a shocking video of the disgruntled Hunter farmer who admitted to doing it.

Michael Kevin Johns, 37, was jailed for his “cruel and callous” treatment of ‘Little Miss Maeve’, an Australian lowline heifer which had wandered onto his Brookfield property, near Dungog, in December last year.

Last month he successfully appealed his prison sentence.

The animal, which was four months pregnant, was a family pet of Johns’ neighbours, who told The Newcastle News the cow was part of their animal nursery which they took to the Dungog show every year.

“He targeted the only one who had a name and was a pet,” said owner of the cow Matt Anderson.

“It would eat bread out of your hand.”

Michael Johns was jailed for animal cruelty but recently released on appeal. Picture Amy Ziniak

"Little Miss Maeve" was run over and had her throat slit by Michael Johns on a property near Dungog in December 2019. Supplied.

The video depicts Johns arguing with Mr Anderson saying, “I broke its legs and then got out and bled its neck. I’ve got no problem with saying that”.

“The cow didn’t die mate,” said Mr Anderson before Johns replied, “Maybe you like to kill stuff straight away, maybe I like to kill stuff slowly”.

Police facts said Johns ran down the pet cow with his Toyota Landcruiser, breaking its rear right leg, before taking a pocket knife and slitting its throat leaving it in “considerable pain” for several hours.

Johns also allowed 15 of his Maremma dogs to maul and attack the animal as it lay helpless on the ground.

It wasn’t until more than four hours later a distraught Mr Anderson had to euthanise the animal, putting an end to its suffering.

“Through the drought we spent a lot of our life savings to keep these animals alive and to see someone do that with no remorse, it just breaks your heart,” Mr Anderson added.

Little Miss Maeve, the pregnant cow that was run down and had its throat slit by Michael Kevin Johns at a property near Dungog. Supplied.

The cow being mauled by Johns’ dogs. Supplied.

He said he was “mortified and gobsmacked” that after receiving a 16 month jail sentence last month, Johns was only recently released back into the community, following a successful appeal in the District Court.

He was instead given an intensive corrections order (ICO). A 18 month community corrections order (CCO) will also remain and a $5096 bill to the RSPCA.

Johns pleaded guilty to torture, beat and seriously injure an animal and failing to prevent his dogs from escaping. Four other charges were dropped which included torture, beat and cause prolonged suffering to animal, commit an aggravated act of animal cruelty, dog attacks due to owner’s reckless act and fail to prevent a dog from escaping relating to occasions in January and February.

Johns admitted in a video to running down the cow and breaking its leg. Pic Amy Ziniak

The damage done to the cow by Johns. Supplied.

He also pleaded guilty to one charge of failing to provide veterinary treatment for a Maremma sheepdog puppy, where the animal was found to have poor body condition and intestinal parasitism.

On Sentencing him to jail last month, Magistrate Brett Shields said the harm and suffering to the animal was “utterly appalling” and was “cruel and callous”.

“Animals have every right to be treated humanely,” he said.