Connor Joseph Churchill receives six week suspended prison sentence for animal cruelty acts

A young Hobart man who “tortured, abused and terrified” a seagull, while his mates filmed the bird trying to fly away at a popular Hobart fishing spot, has learnt his fate in court. LATEST >>

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A YOUNG man who caught a seagull on a fishing hook then laughed as his mates filmed the bird trying to fly away has received a suspended prison sentence.

In December last year, Connor Joseph Churchill, 22, initially pleaded guilty to one count of cruelty to animals and two counts of aggravated cruelty likely to result in death, deformity or serious disablement.

However, he made an 11th-hour plea change to not guilty to the second aggravated cruelty charge, claiming he didn’t intend to bait the bird.

The charges related to an incident with another young adult and two youths reeling in the creature after it swallowed a baited hook – damaging its gastrointestinal tract – on a Midway Point causeway in April 2018.

Connor Churchill. Picture: FACEBOOK

Mr Churchill then restrained the silver gull by the neck and asked a friend to wrap fishing line around its leg, allowing the bird to attempt to fly away before it fell into the water.

In the Hobart Magistrates Court last week, the matter appeared before Magistrate Chris Webster for a contest mention where Churchill was given a sentencing indication for the three charges of six weeks imprisonment, which would be wholly suspended.

Part of the incident was filmed and the footage was distributed via social media app Snapchat and was played to the court where the four people involved could be heard laughing.

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.

On Wednesday, Churchill accepted to indicated sentence and changed all his pleas to guilty.

He was convicted and the sentence was suspended provided he be of good behaviour for two years.

EARLIER, NOVEMBER 26: A YOUNG man who allegedly caught a seagull on a fishing hook then laughed as his mates filmed the bird trying to fly away at a popular Hobart fishing spot has appeared in court.

Connor Joseph Churchill, 22, appeared in the Hobart Magistrates Court before Magistrate Reg Marron for a contest mention after pleading not guilty to one count of aggravated cruelty to animals likely to result in death, deformity or serious disablement.

A contest mention is a type of pre-trial hearing which aims to facilitate early guilty pleas and narrow the issues in dispute.

The charge related to an incident with another young adult and two youths reeling in the creature after it swallowed a baited hook – damaging its gastrointestinal tract – on a Midway Point causeway in April 2018.

Mr Churchill then allegedly restrained the silver gull by the neck and asked a friend to wrap fishing line around its leg, allowing the bird to attempt to fly away before it fell into the water.

Part of the incident was filmed and the footage was distributed via social media app Snapchat and was played to the court where the four people involved could be heard laughing.

Crown prosecutor Simon Nicholson alleged 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.”

One of Mr Churchill’s co-accused, Ethan William Seabourne, was sentenced earlier this year to 70 hours of community service.

Mr Marron gave Mr Churchill a week to consider his options.