By The Guardian (World News) | Created at 2024-09-24 08:00:15 | Updated at 2024-09-30 11:28:10
6 days ago
A man who tossed a chicken known as Betty White to its death in an alligator pen had simply wanted to feed the reptile, his lawyer has said.
Peter Smith, 58, of Hunterview in regional NSW, pleaded guilty on Tuesday in Raymond Terrace local court to one count of aggravated animal cruelty.
Defence lawyer Bryan Wrench described the case as a “very unusual matter”.
He said Smith had simply fed a chicken to a hungry alligator in a wildlife park.
He noted the old adage “never smile at a crocodile”, but suggested the alligator would have enjoyed eating the chicken .
The defence lawyer said Smith had no criminal record, was a grandfather, had grown up in the country and “just wanted to feed an alligator”.
Magistrate Kirralee Perry said she was not sure making light of the situation was appropriate.
“These are serious allegations,” Perry told Wrench.
When told the maximum penalty for aggravated animal cruelty in NSW was two years’ imprisonment and a fine of $24,084, Perry said: “Nothing to make fun of then.”
Wrench said he was not making fun of the case, but that 750 million chickens were killed each year.
Smith’s case was adjourned to 20 November for sentence.
He refused to comment outside court.
Court documents revealed police claimed Smith committed an act of aggravated cruelty on “a silkie bantam chook” between 2.57pm and 3.10pm on 2 January at the Oakvale Farm and Fauna World at Salt Ash.
Police had attended the wildlife park after reports the chicken had been snatched from an enclosure and thrown into the alligator pen in front of shocked families.
In a statement released after the silkie hen was killed, Kent Sansom, the owner of Oakvale Farm, said management and staff had been deeply saddened by Betty White’s fate.
“This is the first time in our 43 years that we have had a member of the public (allegedly) engage in such cruelty in what is an animal sanctuary,” Sansom said.
“Betty White was hand-raised at the park and had played a crucial role in our endangered species breeding program for the bush stone curlew and other species by providing surrogacy to the chicks.
“Her quiet nature means she would not hesitate to approach a customer for some animal pellets, making her an easy target for an [alleged] ruthless perpetrator.”
