Brisbane man warned to expect jail after 'heinous' abuse of six-month-old puppy in Melbourne’s west

A Brisbane man that tortured a six-month-old puppy while living with his girlfriend in Melbourne’s west, has been warned to expect a jail sentence for the "heinous act".

A Brisbane man that tortured a six-month-old puppy, fracturing its legs in six different places, has been warned to expect a jail sentence for the "heinous act".

Lachlan James Thornton, 23, faced the Sunshine Magistrates' Court on Tuesday after pleading guilty to three offences relating to severe injuries he inflicted on a young Bull Arab puppy named Oreo. 

Living with his then-fiancee, Demi Cydnee Henry, 27, and her family in Sunshine West, the pair adopted the puppy in 2018 before later surrendering it to the Brimbank City Council on February 5, 2019. 

Council officers discovered six untreated fractures to the six-month-old dog’s hind legs that left the animal with permanent injuries and interviewed the couple who provided different explanations for the injuries.

Demi Cydnee Henry and Lachlan Thorton pleaded guilty to animal abuse charges in the Sunshine Magistrates' Court on October 28, 2021.

Brimbank Council officers then flagged concerns with the RSPCA,  who launched an investigation after a vet determined the injuries resulted from “non-accidental blunt force trauma on at least three occasions”.

Thornton was charged with committing an act of cruelty to an animal by causing injuries, failing to provide veterinary treatment and animal cruelty causing serious disablement in July 2020.

“Due to the extent and nature of the fractures, the dog was seriously disabled and euthanized on humane grounds due to the poor prognosis for quality of life,”  RSPCA prosecutors previously told the court. 

The injuries inflicted on the female puppy occurred over a "six-week period" between January 1, and February 5, 2019 causing severe pain and suffering.

Defence lawyer Ricardo Balancy previously told the court the injuries were inflicted as a result of the “mental stress” his client was experiencing at the time, living in a crowded house with his partner's family.

“He felt unable to take care of his young family and wife and reacted the way he did,” he said.

“He has expressed remorse and is the only one to blame for what happened to Oreo.”

X-ray images on February 5, 2019, revealed multiple fractures to the hind legs caused by blunt force trauma. Picture: RSPCA.

X-ray images on February 5, 2019, revealed fractures to Oreo’s left femur, left tibia and fibula caused by blunt force trauma. Picture: RSPCA.

In court, magistrate Michelle Mykytowycz described the offending as a "heinous act" and said defence submissions of a fine or good behaviour bond were "entirely out of the realm" of an appropriate sentence. 

"I haven't closed my mind to the imposition of a community corrections order but at this stage I expect a jail term followed by a community corrections to be an appropriate disposition," she said.

The matter was adjourned to April 5 to allow Mr Thornton to undergo assessment for an order, which can take place from his Brisbane home. 

He will have to return to Victoria on that date for sentencing. 

RSPCA prosecutor Natalie Perera told the court the organisation would seek he be disqualified from owning a pet for a decade and undertake monitoring from RSPCA inspectors to ensure compliance. 

His partner, Demi Cyndee Henry, has already been sentenced after pleading guilty to a sole charge of failing to ensure the puppy received veterinary care, although the prosecutor stressed the injuries occurred when Thornton had sole care of Oreo.