Three miners fined over 'vile and reprehensible' bashing of pigeon

Three workers person been fined complete footage of a pigeon being bashed pinch a play nine astatine a minesite successful Western Australia.

A 24-year-old man and 2 30-year-old men person each pleaded blameworthy to animal cruelty complete an incident while nan trio were moving astatine Pantoro Gold's Norseman Gold Project successful June 2023.

A Snapchat video showed nan 2 older men holding up a pigeon earlier nan younger man utilized a play nine to deed it, sending nan vertebrate flying for much than a metre.

The 24-year-old was seen continuing to deed nan pigeon 4 times earlier putting it successful a adjacent skip bin.

The caption read: "May his psyche remainder successful peace."

The video was posted to 1 of nan men's Snapchat story, which was past reported to RSPCA WA.

Pantoro Gold said it fired nan men progressive aft nan incident emerged.

"Pantoro takes this matter highly seriously. We acted instantly upon learning of nan incident and provided afloat assistance to some WA Police and nan RSPCA passim their investigation," a spokesperson said.

"The individuals progressive are nary longer employed by Pantoro.

"Pantoro maintains a zero-tolerance attack to acts of animal cruelty and expects nan highest standards of behaviour from each labor and contractors."

The 3 men were sentenced astatine Kalgoorlie Magistrates Court connected Monday. 

Magistrate William Yoo said nan offending was "absolutely disgusting, vile and reprehensible", adding that nan pigeon's distress was evident and it was an "innocent and susceptible animal".

He told nan men they had "egged each different on" and "betrayed" their humanity.

"(This is a) very superior and shocking matter which should daze nan public's conscience," he said.

RSPCA WA based on they maliciously hit and ill-treated nan pigeon, which they claimed was live during nan attack.

The 24-year-old was fined $48,000, and nan 2 30-year-old men were fined $39,000. The trio avoided imprisonment.

RSPCA WA Inspector Manager Kylie Green welcomed nan sentencing and said nan behaviour shown successful nan video was disgusting.

"There is ne'er an excuse to torment aliases maltreatment an animal," she said.

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