Calls for death penalty for Darwin serial dog killer Adam Britton amid concern for risk ‘beyond animals’
Prosecutors say they hold concerns for possible ‘risks beyond simply animals’ upon the 52-year-old self-described zoo-sadist’s eventual release. WARNING: GRAPHIC DETAILS.
Police & Courts
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Animal welfare advocates have called for a Darwin serial dog killer to be ”incarcerated forever”, after prosecutors flagged concerns about a possible risk “beyond simply animals”.
Adam Britton, 52, pleaded guilty in the Supreme Court in September to 60 charges, including bestiality, animal cruelty and possessing child abuse material.
In doing so, he formally admitted to killing at least 39 dogs – which he called “f--k toys” – raping puppies, running a “torture room” on his McMinns Lagoon property and advising others in “zoo-sadism”.
On Tuesday the court heard prosecutors had only just received an expert psychological report obtained by the defence, which was met with scepticism from Chief Justice Michael Grant.
“It’s a bit hard, in this sort of case, isn’t it, to say there’s a psychological aberration which caused this sort of conduct and therefore that reduces culpability,” he said.
“A serial killer can’t say, for example, ‘My moral culpability is reduced because I suffer from psychopathy’.
“I’ll hold fire on it obviously but I just can’t see how evidence as to a psychological condition, whether you describe it as paraphilia or zoo-sadism, how that in any way operates to reduce moral culpability for the product of that condition.”
Crown prosecutor Marty Aust said there was also “some standardised testing done” that was “suggestive of below average risk of reoffending”.
“There’s some concern from the Crown in the use of that testing in the context of an offence where it relies upon previous convictions, whereas this is an extended, continued, serious criminal enterprise of a very serious nature,” he said.
“We also want to look at some possibilities of whether risks extend beyond simply animals, with some serious predilection for sexual violence attached to bestiality.”
Britton’s defence barrister, who asked not to be named, said she was “dismayed to hear your honour’s position as at today that you wouldn’t be assisted in such an unusual case by expert evidence”.
“A good deal of the report is aimed at one of the legislated purposes of sentencing which is rehabilitation,” she said.
“And having had the benefit of actually having read the report I believe that the court will be significantly assisted.”
Speaking on the courthouse steps, Humpty Doo woman Merinda Sharpe said she came to court “to let people know (the animals) will never be forgotten”.
“He’s got to be punished so people just don’t think animals are something they can exploit and abuse.”
Ms Sharpe said while she accepted the death penalty was off the table, she hoped Britton would spend the rest of his life in jail “to feel some of the pain that he’s inflicted on these innocent, loyal, voiceless friends of ours.”
He will return to court in May.
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