Jonathan Christopher Kolster charged with allegedly decapitating a duck in Mittagong RSL Club carpark
An electrician has been charged with the ‘barbaric’ and ‘heinous’ act of allegedly decapitating a duck in the carpark of Southern Highlands carpark before drunkenly crashing his car into a fence.
Police & Courts
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Young electrician Jonathan Christopher Kolster has been charged with the “barbaric” and “heinous” act of decapitating a protected duck in the carpark of Mittagong RSL Club before drunkenly crashing his car into a fence, where it caught on fire, a court has heard.
The 24-year-old appeared in Picton Court via audiovisual link on Thursday after being charged with six offences allegedly committed over four hours on Saturday afternoon.
Police allege the Colo Vale resident and another man chased a flock of protected wild Australian wood ducks through the club carpark before Mr Kolster used his bare hands to rip a duck’s head from its neck while it was still alive.
Police allege Mr Kolster committed the “heinous” and “barbaric” act before driving drunk on Colo Rd and crashing into a rail-and-post fence, at which point the car caught on fire.
In documents tendered to the court, police allege the self-employed electrician was “in an extremely intoxicated state” and veering all over the road before the collision.
He allegedly left the scene of the crash without giving his details to the affected owner and then lied to police about his whereabouts, telling them he was in Mudgee at the time of the crash.
Police allege Mr Kolster has not shown any remorse and had “shown a complete disregard for members of the community.”
Mr Kolster’s lawyer Daniel Grippi told the court his client, who has no criminal history, had participated in the “excessive consumption of alcohol” on January 22.
“Alcohol is plainly a factor,” he said.
The court heard police would rely on CCTV footage of the alleged decapitation and Kolster driving the car.
Magistrate Mark Douglass noted the court had serious concerns about the risk of reoffending, given the severity of the allegations.
“He has allegedly randomly participated in an act of cruelty in public,” he said.
“The act is so random and would be so easy to commit. Based on that, the court would have concerns.”
As conditions of bail, Magistrate Douglass directed the electrician to abstain from drugs and alcohol, not enter any licensed premises, and not be in the driver’s seat of any vehicle.
The magistrate also imposed a curfew on Mr Kolster so he may not leave his parents’ house in Hill Top unless for work or accompanied by his parents.
Mr Kolster has been charged with recklessly beating and killing an animal, committing an act of cruelty upon an animal, driving under the influence of alcohol, negligent driving, not giving particulars to an owner of damaged property and making a false statement for benefit.
The other man allegedly involved in the duck decapitation has not been charged.
Mr Kolster will return to Moss Vale Court on February 22.
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