Man sentenced for animal cruelty in the Hobart Magistrates Court

When young men get together, sometimes “their brains go to complete mush” a Hobart magistrate said in sentencing a man over an animal cruelty attack shared on popular app Snapchat.

A YOUNG Gagebrook man has been sentenced for his role in an act of animal cruelty at a popular fishing spot described as “vicious, cowardly, sustained and pointless”.

Ethan William Seabourne, 20, pleaded guilty to animal cruelty in the Hobart Magistrates Court before Magistrate Reg Marron on Thursday morning.

Prosecutor Simon Nicholson told the court Seabourne and his three co-accused were fishing on the Midway Point causeway in April 2018 when one of the other men baited a hook and placed it on the causeway to catch a silver gull.

LATEST COURT NEWS:

• Hundreds charged as virus checks continue
• Knife-wielding addict threatens teen worker

The creature was reeled in after it swallowed the hook – damaging its gastrointestinal tract – and was restrained by the neck by the other man who asked Seabourne to wrap fishing line around one of its legs.

The men allowed the bird to attempt to fly away before it fell into the water.

The court heard part of the incident was filmed and the footage was distributed via social media app Snapchat.

Jordan River farm school cattle handler Ethan Seabourne.

Mr Nicholson said the gull had been “tortured, abused and terrified” and a veterinary consultant had found after watching the footage the silver gull would likely have suffered long term health problems and possibly death.

He described the incident as “opportunistic and targeted.”

“In sentencing, general deterrence must be considered for this kind of abhorrent behaviour – the acts were vicious, cowardly, sustained and pointless,” Mr Nicholson said.

Seabourne’s lawyer said his client had a significant interest in agricultural studies and had volunteered at his school’s farm where he was trusted to care for a range of animals.

He said Seabourne was considered a polite and courteous student who was working with his qualified builder dad and wanted to study agricultural management at university.

The court heard during his police interview, Seabourne said he knew it was animal cruelty and “I love animals, I want to be around animals my whole life”.

Ethan Seabourne leaves the Hobart Magistrates Court.

Mr Marron said to Seabourne that some time had passed since the incident.

“You might now appreciate these charges attract a huge amount of interest – the public hate it [animal cruelty] – they really, really hate it,” he said.

“Animals are vulnerable and humans are the deadliest animals on the planet.

“I’m certain that if you’d been there by yourself this wouldn’t have happened.

“There’s something that happens when young males are together in groups, in my opinion, it’s a chemical reaction where their brains go to complete mush.”

Mr Marron did not record a conviction and sentenced Seabourne to 70 hours of community service.

“See if you can do work with the RSPCA – I think you’d be an excellent candidate,” Mr Marron told Seabourne.

Originally published as Man sentenced for animal cruelty in the Hobart Magistrates Court