Tuesday, August 9, 2011

Possums Tortured 10/8/11

Possums Tortured

A northern Tasmanian man is in custody after pleading guilty to torturing and killing possums. Jason Stephen Hampton, 20, of Deloraine pleaded guilty in the Magistrates Court in Launceston to 14 animal cruelty charges. It is alleged he hunted and tortured about five possums between October and November 2009. The court was shown videos obtained from a laptop depicting possums being stabbed with knives, clubbed with broom handles, set alight and blown up using aerosol cans and sparklers. The video also showed possums being deliberately run over. Prosecutor Glenn Carey told the court the animals would have experienced great distress and pain. Hampton's lawyer, Sasha Wong, said his client found the footage "quite disgusting" and was ashamed of his actions. "He is certainly remorseful and ashamed of the acts he's committed," he said. Magistrate Tim Hill said it was the most serious case of this type he had dealt with. "People who care for orphaned animals will be horrified by this. Anybody would be horrified by this." Hampton has been remanded in custody for sentencing later this month. *ABC

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