Before the public prosecutor presented the charges, the judge gave another note: He recommended that security guards, media representatives and spectators leave the hall. The details of the allegations made against zoologist Adam Britton in Australia are too gruesome.
They were “grotesque and perverse acts of cruelty” that could leave listeners in a state of shock, he warned: “I’ll leave it to you, but you know the danger.” Britton is accused of torturing and abusing dogs. As a result, a total of 39 dogs are said to have died. Britton admitted the crimes in court and made a confession, the Guardian reports from the trial.
For many years Britton had been a renowned zoologist, particularly as an expert on crocodiles. The Brit, who moved to Australia in the mid-nineties, also works for the BBC with the well-known wildlife filmmaker David Attenborough. But he is said to have committed brutal acts outside of the public eye.
The public prosecutor accuses him of torturing and sexually abusing two dogs that belonged to him for years. He later searched for additional victims through advertisements. Pet owners who could no longer care for their dogs left their pets to Britton – probably because they trusted him because of his professional expertise. But the zoologist also brutally abused these dogs.
“The perpetrator had a sadistic sexual interest in animals and especially dogs,” said the prosecutor, summarizing the charges. The prosecution has compiled a total of 56 cases. 39 of the dogs died as a result of the abuse. Britton pleaded guilty in court and also admitted possessing child pornography.
According to the indictment, Britton had specially set up a shipping container on his property in which he tortured the dogs – often to the point of death. He filmed his actions and distributed some of them on a Telegram channel. When one of these videos was forwarded to an animal protection organization and then to the police last year, the 51-year-old was arrested. Pleas on the sentence will be held in December.
Sources: “Guardian” / “Sky News” / ABC
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