Nathan Schuitema appeared in court on Wednesday morning and pleaded guilty to a charge of animal cruelty for the attack, which saw him evicted from the holiday island on December 7.
Beloved: Quokkas are adorable little marsupials |
The 18-year-old kicked the quokka in the back as it sat on a road near the Geordie Bay settlement, in what his lawyer described as a moment of drunken stupidity.
Police witnessed the attack and arrested Schuitema, but were unable to find the marsupial and confirm the severity of its injuries.
At his sentencing, Magistrate Langdon said the offence was "a black mark" on the youngster's character but granted a spent conviction and fine on the basis of his age, previous good character and the fact he had shown remorse.
Schuitema, who wrote a letter of apology to the Rottnest Island Authority, apologised for the cruel attack.
"I'm sorry to Rottnest Island... I respect animals and I'm very embarrassed for what I did." he said outside court.
It is not the first time there has been issues with animal cruelty from tourists on the island. Earlier this year two French backpackers were fined for torching a quokka.
Thibaud Jean Leon Vallet, 24, who has a master's degree in journalism and a police officer for a father, pleaded guilty to animal cruelty in April, alongside his cousin Jean Mickael Batrikian, 18.
The two men were fined $4000 each in Fremantle Magistrates Court after burning the quokka using a deodorant can and a lighter on April 3.
No comments:
Post a Comment