Bird torturer sentenced to 12 months jail for animal cruelty

The 61-year-old previously admitted to police he liked hunting the protected species when he was high on methamphetamine.

A bird torturer who tried to cook and eat an ibis has appeared in court, charged with a string of animal cruelty offences as well as stealing hundreds of dollars’ worth of seafood.

Tom Quach, 61, was sentenced to 12 months imprisonment in the Downing Centre Local Court on Wednesday over 14 serious charges.

The charges related to animal cruelty, attempting to harm a protected animal, assaulting a retail worker, shoplifting, possessing a prohibited drug, stalking, assaulting a police officer and resisting arrest.

Police previously alleged Quach used a fishing line to catch two long-billed corellas on Anzac Parade in Malabar, in Sydney’s east, in January.

According to witnesses who spoke with police, Quach snared the native birds and then enclosed them in a suitcase that he took to his house.

Police claim Quach forcefully shook the suitcase and injured the two birds, which are a protected species and not to be harmed.

Tom Quach was sentenced to 12 months imprisonment in the Downing Centre Local Court on Wednesday. Picture: Adam Yip

In sentencing, magistrate Brett Thomas said while special circumstances did apply due to Quach’s poor mental health, the number and variety of the different charges were cause for concern.

“Mr Quach has been in the system for a long time, as is reflected in his record,” Mr Thomas said.

“There is a concern as these offences are a combination of matters of different criminality … clearly the threshold has been crossed.”

The court was told how Quach had recently been caught stealing $900 worth of seafood at Maroubra Coles as well as king fruit (durian) from a store in Bankstown, an expensive fruit that is considered a delicacy.

The 61-year-old previously pleaded guilty to slaughtering an ibis in 2023 that he had planned to cook.

He was jailed over the offence after the court was told that he had hung the ibis in his shower to dry so he could cook it.

At the time, he told police he liked to hunt the protected species when he was high on methamphetamine so he could cook and eat them.

In court on Wednesday, Mr Thomas said believed that Quach still did “not appreciate the full gravity of seriousness in relation to his animal cruelty charges”.

Quach will be eligible for parole in January 2026.