ANIMAL CRUELTY Dog-kicker fined $1000
A REEDY Creek man received death threats after a video of him kicking his dog and pulling its chain so hard the pet was airborne went viral, a court has heard.
Brett Alan Simpson, 33, was fined $1000 in the Southport Magistrates Court yesterday and banned from owning a pet for three years.
He pleaded guilty charge of animal cruelty.
Defence lawyer Brooke Winter, of Brooke Winter Solicitors, said outside court Simpson was “extremely sorry for finding himself in this position’’.
“He has been charged, the courts have dealt with him and he wants to move on with his life,” Mr Winter said.
A bystander filmed Simpson repeatedly kicking the dog, Rocky, and pulling on its chain on January 8 at Currumbin beach.
Mr Winter told the court the to a video quickly went viral, leaving Simpson in fear of his life after receiving death threats.
“There has been extensive public shaming. He and his family have been traumatised by people directly over social media,” Mr Winter said.
He said Simpson had been forced to change his car and numberplates due to the threats.
It was the threats and the fact Simpson took an anger management course that led Magistrate Louise Sheppard to decide a period of probation was too harsh, opting instead to fine him. She also ordered Simpson pay more than $2000 in RSPCA costs.
RSPCA barrister Adrian Braithwaite said Simpson told inspectors he pulled on the dog’s chain because he feared the dog would run on to the road.
Simpson also made an unsolicited donation of $500 to the RSPCA and voluntarily surrendered Rocky for rehoming.
“It might fairly be said there has been some extra-curial punishment by virtue of the public shaming,” Mr Braithwaite said.
Speaking outside court, RSPCA prosecutions officer Tracey Jackson welcomed the ban order.
“It probably allows Mr Simpson some down time to reflect and to make a more considered decision next time he does enter into owning a pet,” she said.
Rocky had been rehomed to an undisclosed location.