Animal cruelty: Gold Coast cases including dog kicking, echidna stealing and reptile mistreatment
Some are pet owners who were banned from owning an animal again, others were responsible for despicable acts that left animals terrified, injured or dead. SEE THE FULL LIST
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Some are pet owners who were banned from owning an animal again, others were responsible for despicable acts that left animals terrified, injured or dead.
All of the offenders listed below either pleaded guilty or were convicted of animal cruelty when they faced city courts.
Patrick Joseph McElligott
Patrick McElligott’s dog was left “terrified, worried and tormented” after he kicked it in the head three times in a Gold Coast Bunnings car park.
Earlier this year McElligott was sentenced to two years probation with restrictive conditions including attending anger management programs, regular drug and alcohol testing and that he must attend counselling after attacking his dog in a Gold Coast Bunnings’ carpark.
He was found guilty of one count of animal cruelty after he kicked the German shepherd called Axel in the head three times on May 2 about 3.30pm.
Warren Dean and Lisa Cole
Couple Warren Dean and Lisa Cole were last year found not to be feeding five animals in their care, leading to them becoming emaciated and infested with lice and causing the death of an alpaca.
On April 10, 2019 Dean, a former navy clearance diver, pleaded guilty to multiple charges including failure to provide adequate food and his partner Cole pleaded guilty to a single charge of failing to comply with animal welfare directions.
Dean was fine $1000 and ordered by pay the RSPCA $9918 for the cost of looking after the animals, while Cole was fined $200 and ordered to pay the RSPCA another $200.
Jian Zhang
In March of 2018, a then 28-year-old Jian Zhang was filmed hitting his three-month-old Samoyed puppy, named “Ka Ka”, 12 to 15 times as it yelped in fear.
On September 19, 2018 the footage led to Zhang being banned from owning an animal for three years after he pleaded guilty to hitting the animal.
The Broadbeach Waters man was made to serve 12 months probation and pay legal and vet costs up to $8588.79.
Brett Allan Simpson
In another incident caught on video, Brett Simpson was banned from owning an animal for three years.
This time the damning footage from January 8, 2018 showed Simpson hitting and kicking a dog and yanking his lead so hard the pup was airborne for one metre.
On July 9, 2018 he pleaded guilty to one count of animal cruelty and was ordered to pay more than $2000 in RSPCA costs.
Blair Vercoe
Blair Vercoe was banned for owning a dog for two years after he threw and kicked a dog in a Broadbeach park adjacent to the Kurrawa Surf Club in early 2016.
On June 13, 2016 he pleaded guilty to kicking and throwing his two-year-old pit bull and was sentenced to 200 hours community service.
Court documents show police were called to the park about 12.30pm after reports Vercoe and another man were drinking in the area and causing a disturbance.
When police arrived they saw Vercoe pick the dog up by the collar from under a table and throw it from waist height on to the ground.
Thomas Bartlett
Father-of-four Thomas Barlett was convicted of animal cruelty after throwing a cattle dog puppy into a car, causing it to hit its head on the dashboard in November 2015.
The following year On April 21, 2016 he faced charges of public nuisance and animal cruelty and was fined $500.
In his closing statement, Bartlett said the way he treated the dog on the day was a “mistake” and he was regretful for his actions.
Andrew Walmsley
Reptile seller Andrew Walmsley sent geckos through the post in packages without breathing holes, water or food, sent one buyer a note with a dead gecko that said, “He likes to play dead”.
Walmsley, who was 25 at the time, was found to have defrauded customers who found him through the website Reptiles Down Under, using fake names and forged wildlife licences to sell geckos and pythons in 2016.
On February 27, 2016 Walmsley pleaded guilty to 26 offences, including animal cruelty, fraud and forgery.
He was sentenced to four months jail with immediate parole, placed on a 15-month probation order and fined him $3200.
Walmsley was also ordered to pay back $15,800 to his victims and was banned from owning or possessing animals for three years.
Tyson Bothur
Tyson Bothur claimed he was “searching for crocodiles” when he broke into the Currumbin Sanctuary and stole Piggie the echidna in August 2015.
On November 3, 2015 he pleaded guilty to charges of animal cruelty, enter premises and drug possession.
Bothur was placed on a two year probation order and will have to pay $740 in restitution to the Currumbin Sanctuary.
Linda Tran
A vet described Linda Tran’s treatment of her dog “the worst case of animal cruelty she has ever dealt with”.
The Molendinar woman was banned from owning another animal after her treatment of her pet rottweiler Maxy led to it to die a slow and painful death.
Linda Tran, who also goes by the name of Cuc Thi, received a $1300 fine and was ordered to pay $1400 in vet fees after pleading guilty on December 10, 2015 to failing to take reasonable steps to provide treatment for 11-year-old pet.
Ian Ronald Crowden
Ian Crowden faced court for kicking a sniffer dog at Gold Coast Airport.
A court heard on January 22, 2014 that Crowden was picking up his daughter from the airport when he was approached by a female sniffer dog that he lashed out at and kicked it in the side, which resulted in a $1000 fine.
He faced further charges following the animal cruelty case for allegedly wrongly claiming in court that he was an army sniper who served overseas.
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