Charges proven in mass wedge-tailed eagle killing case

An elderly Victorian woman accused of poisoning wedge-tailed eagles at her farm will face sentencing after 47 charges against her were proven. See the details.

Dorothy Sloan, Violet Town, faces sentencing for 73 offences. Picture: File (Zoe Phillips)

A Victorian magistrate has handed down his verdict on almost 50 charges against an elderly Goulburn Valley woman, accused of wildlife and cruelty offences related to the poisoning of native birds, mostly wedge-tailed eagles.

Appearing in a hearing at the Shepparton Magistrates’ Court on Wednesday, Magistrate David Faram released his reasoning for judgement on 47 contested charges against Dorothy Sloan.

Magistrate Faram told the court he was unable to conclude that Ms Sloan was solely responsible for the alleged offending, however, he was satisfied beyond a reasonable doubt that she was involved by intentionally assisting and, or encouraging the commission of the offences.

Magistrate Faram determined there was an illegal baiting program conducted on Ms Sloan’s Violet Town farm and she alone, or with members of her family, engaged in the unlawful baiting and killing of native wildlife on the farm.

He also determined Ms Sloan laid the baits found in her paddocks in 2019, or was complicit in doing so, concluding she must have had knowledge of, or involvement in the destruction of the birds.

Prosecutors have previously told the court Ms Sloan justified the killings by claiming the birds were attacking her vegetable patch.

More than 120 wedge-tailed eagles and other native wildlife are alleged to have been killed Ms Sloan’s Violet Town property. Picture: Matt Taylor

The decision comes after a nine-day contested hearing in December 2023, which detailed a Conservation Regulator and multi-agency investigation into reports of more than 120 deceased wedge-tailed eagles found in the Violet Town area.

The matter was adjourned for a further mention, on September 6 in the Shepparton Magistrates’ Court, where Magistrate Faram intends to sentence Ms Sloan for a total of 73 offences.

Alongside the 47 contested charges, Ms Sloan pleaded guilty to an additional 26 charges last year for the illegal possession of wildlife kept in her freezer, which were discovered during a search warrant on her premises.