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Case #5843 Rating: 3.4 out of 5
Zoo rabbit stolen, fed to alligator
Colwyn Bay, WA (UK)Incident Date: Friday, Sep 30, 2005
Disposition: Convicted
Case Images: 1 files available
Defendant/Suspect: Damien French
Case Updates: 4 update(s) available
A person stole a rabbit from a zoo's petting area, then fed it to the alligators. Jobless Damien French, now 20, dropped the large white rabbit into the alligator pond at the Welsh Mountain Zoo in north Wales - and laughed hysterically as it was devoured.
Llandudno Magistrates Court heard French sneaked into the zoo, in Colwyn Bay, in October with two friends, aged 14 and 15, by climbing over a wall. They wandered around for more than two hours before entering the alligator house. Once inside, French read a sign explaining that alligators eat small mammals. He said to his friends "He must be hungry" before entering the petting area and reaching over a fence into a pen containing two large rabbits. He pulled one out by its ears and walked back to the nearby alligator house, before dangling it over the pond. He dropped the rabbit and it was attacked immediately by a large alligator called Albert, who killed it and kept the body clamped between his jaws. When a young girl entered the alligator house and asked, "Is that a rabbit?", the three boys fell about laughing as one replied: "It was - it was running around 10 minutes ago." After leaving the alligator house, the boys also threw a lit cigarette to a chimpanzee, and French was seen reaching into an arctic fox enclosure.
Shaven-headed French, of Colwyn Bay, denied animal cruelty and told police it was the younger of his two friends who was responsible for the rabbit's death. He claimed he had warned the boy: "Don't throw him - it's snide." He admitted laughing afterwards but said it was due to shock, and that he now realised it was not funny. He added: "I felt as guilty as the others just for being there, but I didn't touch the rabbit." But he was warned he faces up to six months in jail today after being found guilty at the end of a day-long trial in which both of the other boys blamed French and suggested he was angry that the rabbit had scratched his new jacket. Chairman of the Bench Alan Roberts warned French: "Custody seems a very likely option." He will be sentenced on April 5, 2006.
Speaking after the hearing, the Welsh Mountain Zoo's administrative director Chris Jackson said: "This is a salutary lesson to people who indulge in mindless attacks on defenceless animals."
Case UpdatesMAN who fed a live rabbit to an alligator has admitted breaching a ban on keeping pets.
Damien French was banned from keeping animals for 10 years for animal cruelty after he was found guilty of throwing the rabbit into the alligator enclosure at a zoo.
But when RSPCA inspectors visited French's flat in Russell Road, Rhyl, last month they found two hamsters and two bearded dragons.
At Prestatyn magistrates' court yesterday, French, 24, pleaded guilty to breaching the order and was fined £100. He was also ordered to pay costs totalling £100.
Prosecutor Tracey Willingham said that RSPCA inspectors visited the flat on November 23 and found the hamsters and bearded dragons in good condition.
When interviewed, French admitted that he was aware he was breaching the order but explained he had not told his partner, who owned some of the pets, about his conviction.
In 2006, French had grabbed the rabbit from the kids' corner at Colwyn Bay Welsh Mountain Zoo and dropped it into the alligator pool, where it was immediately savaged by adult male Albert.
When a young girl walked into the alligator house and asked "Is that a rabbit?", French laughed and one of his two friends replied: "It was. It was running round 10 minutes ago."
For that offence he had been given a six-month jail term suspended for 12 months, and a 12-month supervision order, as well as the 10-year animal ban.
Yesterday, Andy Hutchinson, defending, said inspectors first visited the flat in May this year after reports animals were being neglected.
"But they found no signs of cruelty or neglect, and their visit in November was also following an allegation of cruelty, which proved unfounded.
He said French had bought the male hamster himself but the other animals were owned by his partner. They had all since been rehoused.
Mr Hutchinson told the court: "It was a high-profile case but, to be fair, he has turned his life around since then."
Sgt Rob Taylor, North Wales Police wildlife and environment officer, said: "I welcome the fine from today's court case.
"The 10-year ban on keeping animals is a serious ban. Failing to observe it flies in the face of justice. This defendant ignored that ban." | Source: dailypost.co.uk - Dec 9, 2010
Update posted on Dec 9, 2010 - 8:52AM |
Damien French is in trouble with the law again, this time for racially aggravated common assault. A Muslim woman was "outraged" when her hijab was pulled off her head as she walked along a street pushing a pushchair, a court heard yesterday.
Mold Crown Court heard how Damien French, who previously fed a live rabbit to an alligator at the Welsh Mountain Zoo in Colwyn Bay, grabbed Shahenna Hussain's veil on the streets of Rhyl, shortly after he had shouted racial abuse at a coachload of Asian passengers.
The 21-year-old, of Brighton Road, Rhyl, admitted charges of racially aggravated common assault and a racially aggravated public order offence – but escaped an immediate prison sentence yesterday. Sentence was adjourned for three weeks for assessment.
Mold Crown Court heard that Miss Hussain, 23, was walking with her sister and two nieces, pushing pushchairs along the street at the junction of High Street and Wellington Road one afternoon in April.
Having seen a group including French make offensive gestures toward the coach, she put her head down to avoid eye contact and continued on her way, the court heard. But the defendant and his group noticed her and her sister as she crossed the road and he shouted and swore in racial terms towards her.
Prosecutor Gareth Parry said, "She suddenly felt a violent grip to the top of her head, connecting with her hijab, which was fixed with two pins. Both pins were forced open."
She was "extremely upset and angry" and felt violated, Mr Parry said.
Miss Hussain grabbed the pushchair and continued down the street but two police community support officers had seen what happened and French was arrested.
He initially pleaded not guilty but changed his plea in the magistrates' court and was committed to the Crown court for sentence.
The court heard that among his previous convictions was one in April last year for animal cruelty when he threw a rabbit at the zoo which was eaten by an alligator.
Defending barrister Brian Treadwell said French had written a letter of apology and accepted that his behaviour was "thoroughly shameful and disrespectful". | Source: icWales - Aug 31, 2007
Update posted on Aug 31, 2007 - 5:20PM |
Damien French, who threw a rabbit to an alligator, has had to flee his home after terrifying threats from vengeful animal rights extremists.
French, 20, who followed the outrage by sinking 25 pints of lager and going on a wrecking spree, escaped jail yesterday. Instead he was given a suspended six-month jail sentence.
But a far more sinister threat hangs over him. Chris Jackson, boss of the zoo where laughing French carried out his attack, said: "He's brought himself to the attention of the more extreme animal rights people and will have to be extremely careful.
"Personally, I'd find that a worse punishment than prison. We received some letters which made threats to him, one of which we felt we had to report to police. We're glad we never have to see him again."
Tattooed French, who is at a secret address after fleeing his home in Colwyn Bay, North Wales, showed no emotion as sentence was passed. Asked for his reaction, he grinned and said: "No comment."
The unemployed French grabbed the rabbit from the pets' enclosure at the Welsh Mountain Zoo, in Colwyn Bay, and dropped it into a pool where it was savaged by Albert the alligator.
French spent that evening drinking up to 25 pints of lager. Later, he was caught on CCTV smashing shop windows, one belonging to a charity store for abandoned animals.
He was convicted of animal cruelty last month. He also admitted criminal damage. Yesterday Llandudno magistrates put him under a 12-month supervision order, including treatment for alcohol abuse, and banned him from keeping animals for 10 years. | Source: Mirror.Co.Uk - April 6, 2006
Update posted on Apr 7, 2006 - 10:01AM |
Damien French, 20, from Colwyn Bay, was found guilty of cruelty to the rabbit at the Welsh Mountain Zoo in the town in north Wales.
Llandudno Magistrates Court heard French took the rabbit from an area used for children to stroke animals. The teenager had claimed a friend with him at the time was responsible.
The prosecution said French, accompanied by two other teenagers, took the rabbit from the petting area into a compound containing two alligators, where he dangled it from a balcony. He dropped the rabbit and a male alligator named Albert took it in its jaws and killed it but did not eat it. The court heard a young girl entered the alligator house and asked the three: "Is that a rabbit?" The three are alleged to have fallen into fits of laughter as one answered: "It was - it was running around 10 minutes ago." French is said to have laughed hysterically at the scene
One of the boys with French that day, now aged 16, told the court: "We were in the alligator house and Damien said, 'He looks hungry'. "He went into the other place, climbed on to a ledge and leaned over and he grabbed one of the rabbits by its ears. "He said he was going to throw it to the alligators. I said 'Don't throw it in', but he did." French said in court he felt guilty about the rabbit's death because he had been present at the time but was not responsible for it dying. He blamed his 14-year-old friend, who cannot be named, saying the other boy had taken the rabbit from its pen and thrown it to the alligators. He said: "We were all laughing about it. I was laughing just because of the shock of it happening. "I found it funny at the time but I feel pretty bad about it now. It's not a nice thing to have happened. "I felt as guilty as the others just for being there, but I didn't touch the rabbit."
However both his friends blamed him for the incident and suggested he was angry the rabbit had scratched his new jacket. The court heard after leaving the alligator house, the boys also threw a lit cigarette to a chimpanzee, and French was seen reaching into an arctic fox enclosure. French had previously admitted smashing two shop windows in Colwyn Bay in the early hours of the day after the rabbit killing. Defence solicitor Chris Dawson had argued the court could not be sure who had thrown the rabbit.
Chair of magistrates Alan Roberts said: "Custody seems a very likely option." French will be sentenced on 5 April 2006. Welsh Mountain Zoo administrative director Chris Jackson said after the trial he was pleased with the verdict. "This is a salutary lesson to people who indulge in mindless attacks on defenceless animals," he added. | Source: BBC News - March 9, 2006
Update posted on Mar 25, 2006 - 8:02AM |
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