A Sydney man who slaughtered an ibis before hanging it to dry in his shower and attempting to cook the bird has been jailed for six months.
Key points:
- The 60-year-old pleaded guilty to 10 counts of animal cruelty, shoplifting and drug possession
- He took the ibis from a park, stuffed it in his backpack and rode a stolen bike home before decapitating it in May
- He was convicted and sentenced to six months imprisonment and fined $800
Warning this story details animal cruelty.
Tom Quach took the ibis from a park, stuffed it in his backpack and rode a stolen bike to his home in Sydney’s eastern suburbs before decapitating and hanging it to dry in May.
“The accused told police that when he is high on meth he enjoys hurting the Australian white ibis, prior to cooking and eating the bird,” court documents state.
The 60-year-old pleaded guilty and was convicted on 10 counts of animal cruelty, shoplifting and drug possession.
He had said he was confused about whether the birds, sometimes called ‘bin chickens’, could be eaten in NSW.
Magistrate Michael Price referred to the “raft of matters” that spanned the past year, handing Quach a six-month jail sentence that will run concurrently for the animal cruelty and shoplifting charges.
He labelled the torture and beating of the ibis as especially serious.
“You just can’t treat animals like that Mr Quach. Do you understand?” the magistrate said on Wednesday in Waverley Local Court.
“Yes,” Quach responded.
The Malabar man was also slapped with a $200 fine for the three animal cruelty charges and a drug possession charge, totalling $800.
“It is a serious matter to be dealing with birds in the way that you have,” Mr Price said.
The magistrate chastised Quach for making little effort to stop his shoplifting, which totalled almost $700, saying he had shown inability to comply with his “responsibility in civil society”.
Defence lawyer Hayley Le urged the magistrate to consider a drug rehabilitation program instead of imprisonment as it was a “compelling change” that would lead to more meaningful progress.
“(His mental) condition is not helped by ongoing substance abuse and that’s where community corrections can help,” Ms Le said.
“Time in custody means less time being cared for by community correction officers.”
It’s the second time Quach has been charged for attacking an ibis after he was arrested in March for allegedly tying a rope around the feet and neck of an ibis outside a Sydney train station before onlookers intervened.
He was previously ordered to stay away from all Australian birdlife.
The Australian white ibis is a protected species under the NSW National Parks and Wildlife Act 1974.
Quach, who had a suspected theft charge withdrawn, will be released on February 8, 2024.
AAP