Man who allegedly captured and killed fur seal faces hearing delays

A Tassie man accused of holding a fur seal captive for over a year before shooting it dead is now facing new charges. Get the latest.

Hobart Magistrates Court, Liverpool St. Picture: NCA NewsWire / Richard Jupe

An alleged fur seal killer has had his court hearing postponed due to delays in the prosecutor’s office, now facing an additional 29 charges.

James Danny Young, 24, is accused of capturing an Australian fur seal – a protected species – in August 2023 from the Richmond River.

Mr Young is then alleged to have shot the seal at his Campania property in June 2024 – almost a year after its capture.

He previously pleaded in October last year not guilty to 25 out of 28 charges against him, which included one count each of use of firearm at night for the purpose of taking any form of protected wildlife, taking protected wildlife and possessing wildlife or products of wildlife taken contrary to regulations, as well as various firearm offences.

Australian fur seals. Photo: Phillip Island Nature Parks.

In the Hobart Magistrates Court on Tuesday, Mr Young appeared before Magistrate Chris Webster from police custody on a new raft of 29 charges from this year.

These include three counts of burglary, three counts of stealing and one count of aggravated burglary of a dwelling.

Mr Young was set for a hearing on Tuesday for the 28 charges from 2023, with a mention for the newer 2025 charges.

The prosecution told Magistrate Webster it was unable to proceed with a hearing as it had not “received the full file”.

Prosecution said the earlier charges would take a full day for hearing.

Mr Young’s defence lawyer Jessica Bourke said the disclosure she had received was “lacking” in substance.

“I would require that before we head to a hearing,” she said.

The matter was adjourned until July 1.

Originally published as Man who allegedly captured and killed fur seal faces hearing delays