Bakers Hill man Gerald Henry Walsh, 74, appeared in the Northam Magistrates Court on February 9, 2017 for charges relating to his mistreatment of an emu on August 9, 2015.
The charges included causing unnecessary harm to an animal and taking protected fauna without a licence.
John Rando acted as Mr Walsh’s lawyer through the two-day trial.
A State solicitor appeared on behalf of the RSPCA and the Northam Shire rangers for the prosecution.
The State solicitor told the court that Mr Walsh wanted an emu removed from his property.
It was agreed upon by both the defendant and the prosecution that the man captured the emu with ropes, tied the animals legs together with cable ties and put a holed hood over its head.
The State solicitor said these actions caused the emu traumatic wounds, superficial bleeding and a loss of feathers, culminating in the death of the emu.
Mr Rando argued that the emu had been subjected to multiple incidents of stress from failing to be caught by rangers during the week leading up to the incident with Mr Walsh.
He argued his defendant's innocence suggesting that this stress, along with the Shire ranger failing to protect the animal when arriving at the scene, led to the emu’s death.
This was in relation to the Shire ranger arriving at Mr Walsh’s house and seeing the emu alive, hooded with a rope around its neck and dying shortly after while the ranger was present.
A vet from Perth Zoo, a Parks and Wildlife representative and two Shire rangers appeared for the prosecution.
The defendant's sole eye witness, Michael Wall, appeared via video link from the eastern states.
Magistrate Paul Roth delivered his decision on August 10, 2017.
Mr Walsh was found guilty for causing unnecessary harm to an animal and received a $3500 fine.
He was also found guilty for taking protected fauna without a license and was charged $1000.
In addition to the fines, Mr Walsh was ordered to pay $14,279.81 in court costs.
