Broken Hill man jailed for 'very distressing' animal abuse in social media videos

Australia Broadcast Center

6 days ago

WARNING: This story contains content some readers may find distressing.
A Broken Hill magistrate has sentenced a 20-year-old man to 14 months' imprisonment for animal cruelty.
Jet Jai Johnson pleaded guilty to five separate acts of animal cruelty, which he filmed himself committing against native animals as well as livestock.
The offences related to acts of cruelty on a kangaroo, a joey and three kid goats, which were shared widely on social media.
Johnson was working on a large station in far west NSW at the time of the offences.
Magistrate Jacqueline Trad described the offence against the joey as the most serious.
Footage of the offence showed Johnson riding over the young animal's head and leg on a motorbike.
A separate offence against an adult kangaroo, which was also filmed and shared online, showed Johnson cornering the animal against a fence and repeatedly punching it in the head, before "spearing" it into the ground by its head.
"This was not a short period of time … The conduct itself would have been very distressing to the animal," Magistrate Trad said.
In sentencing, Magistrate Trad cited a report from the RSPCA, noting statements made by a veterinarian that one of the kid goats Johnson kicked was only four weeks old and weighed approximately 4 kilograms.
"That goat was kicked by you in circumstances where it could be seen as thrown backwards and rotating through the air and dropping to the ground on impact," she said.
NSW Police prosecutor Gavin Begg asked Magistrate Trad to consider not just the acts but the comments that accompanied kicking the goats.
Mr Begg told the court Johnson could be heard comparing his kick to the goal-kicking abilities of former NRL player Jonathan Thurston.
"[After] kicking it like 'Johnathan Thurston', [he calls it] 'a good kick'. That is completely unacceptable."
Johnson's defence applied for all the criminal charges to be dismissed on mental health or cognitive impairment grounds under Section 14 of the NSW Mental Health and Cognitive Impairment Forensic Provisions Act 2020.
Johnson's lawyer asked for convictions not to be recorded against his client, pointing to his young age, lack of criminal history and "general lack of sophistication".
"The sticking point is the seriousness of offending," Johnson's lawyer said.
"When you couple all of that and [Johnson's] general remorse and strong community ties, it is open to the court to [consider Section 14]."
Magistrate Trad declined to deal with the matter under Section 14, but took into account Johnson's remorse and psychological reports, which showed he suffered anxiety and depression and most likely had ADHD.
"Ultimately, I have come to the conclusion that the objective seriousness of the offences is so significant that it overwhelms the other factors such as his mental health impairment," she said.
"There was no excuse, no reason and no circumstances in my view that could adequately answer for these offences.
"The farming community … they have an obligation to appropriately care for their stock, wildlife and natural environment.
"That obligation means they're not for sport, they're not for amusement … they are treated as the being they are — able to feel pain, able to experience terror.
"There is an aspect of general deterrence that must be part of the sentence today."
In sentencing Johnson to 14 months imprisonment with a non-parole period of six months, Magistrate Trad said Johnson's offences were "offences against the community" and impacted "the safety of the community because people who saw these videos experienced fear, distress and loathing".
"That is a consequence of what you did. It doesn't have to define you, but you have to pay for what you did," she said.
"In my view, it's a custodial sentence. It is the only sentence, in my view, that would address community concerns and address specific deterrence."
Johnson's supporters erupted in tears when the sentence was handed down.
He will be eligible for parole on January 29, 2026.