Aaron Shahin: Melbourne man accused of vile animal cruelty acts makes bid for bail
A Yarra Junction man accused of horrific acts of animal cruelty has made a bid for bail. But police say he needs to stay locked up for safety reasons. This is why they’re so frightened.
West
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An alleged sicko accused of committing vile acts of animal cruelty has made a bid for freedom.
Aaron Shahin, 35, faced Ringwood Magistrates’ Court on Tuesday charged with six acts of animal cruelty as well as being a prohibited person in possession of a firearm.
Police charge sheets released by the court alleged Shahin was at home with his girlfriend in April when he caught two mice and told her he planned to burn them alive.
He took a blowtorch and allegedly held up one of the mice using a set of pliers and laughed as he burnt the mouse to death, the documents alleged.
On another occasion police alleged Shahin threatened to kill one of his girlfriend’s beloved cats during an argument on Facebook messenger.
“I’ll come down their (sic) and behead that c — t moggy in front of u,” he allegedly messaged.
“Give ya cat a kiss c — t, it’s dead already, nothing will save it.”
Mysteriously, the woman’s other cat had gone missing a month earlier.
In June the woman received a text from Shahin showing a ginger cat inside a cage.
The message was followed by a second text depicting the cat with a gunshot wound to its head. He later allegedly texted her to say he felt “better” and “a killing tends to help”.
Detective Senior Constable Daniel Herbert told the court police believed Shahin possessed a homemade gun, which his girlfriend, who’d since split up with him, told them he kept buried near his parents’ Yarra Junction home.
Police had not been able to find the gun and he told the court he had serious concerns for Shahin’s former partner’s mental and physical safety.
Shahin’s lawyer Hugo Moodie told the court the police case against his client was “speculative”.
“He’s accused of injuring or being cruel to a cat, but that cat’s body hasn’t been found. It’s owner hasn’t been found,” Mr Moodie told the court.
“Even taking the prosecution’s case at its highest, there’s no physical violence alleged to (his former partner).”
Magistrate Tim Walsh adjourned the matter for October 15.
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