The man accused of running down black swans on Tauranga Harbour on Boxing Day can be named for the first time.
Carl Williams, from Katikati, was due to appear in Tauranga District Court today charged with ill-treatment/cruelty to an animal, being black swans, under the Animal Welfare Act.
Carl Williams outside Tauranga District Courthouse in June.
He was granted interim name suppression by Community Magistrate Sue Howell during a court appearance on June 20.
That suppression lapsed today allowing him to be named.
Another Katikati man, Stephen Bowman, is co-accused with Williams for fatally shooting a goat in 2011.
A third man, who cannot be named as he is yet to appear in court due to living overseas, is also facing a charge over the seperate incident in 2011.
Williams is facing three counts of the ill-treatment of an animal. He was charged after a joint investigation by the SPCA and Fish & Game New Zealand into the alleged slaughter of black swans on the harbour caught on video.
Footage, first aired on Campbell Live in March, shows four people in a jet boat intentionally ploughing into black swans.
Williams and Bowman are on bail and are due back in court on August 13. They are yet to enter a plea on the charges.
Under the Animal Welfare Act, anyone who kills an animal in such a manner that the animal suffers unreasonable or unnecessary pain or distress can face a maximum fine of $50,000 or up to 12 years' imprisonment.
7 comments
apply this law
Posted on 16-07-2013 13:26 | By sojourner
That law should be applied to people who are feeding cleaning fluids mixed with cat food to other people's cats too. It is horrible to watch you pet in pain and suffering not knowing what has happened to it and then ending up with huge vet bills to try and save its life. It makes me VERY angry that people can be so cruel to an animal that has done nothing wrong just because they can.
Boat or Gun?
Posted on 16-07-2013 14:40 | By YOGI BEAR
Both seem to be a bit brutal and some ... like is there ever a nice way to "kill"?
whats the diff
Posted on 16-07-2013 19:55 | By Bevin
we allow 1080 to be spread in our bush to kill possums etc and thats not a nice way to kill so do doc get charged? I think thats more of a crime than killing a few pest with a boat and it's LEGAL.hope you get a fair deal guys.
@ Bevin
Posted on 16-07-2013 20:47 | By tabatha
I do not condone 1080, the same as I do not condone the stupid introduction of possums that chew off young shoots of trees causing them to die and nothing to hold the soil and result is slips and soil run off into our waterways. Bevin spend all your time irradicating possums and you will be a hero. Doc is now even more short staffed and these PESTS need to be got rid off. There is no real comparison here. These guys have been accused of cruelty not protection of forests and land.
cruelty
Posted on 17-07-2013 20:17 | By Bevin
So Tabatha you justify your cruelty by claiming you are protecting something so why can't they claim they are protecting the harbour by knocking off a few swans are they not as damaging as the possums but they are demonised so its fair game no matter what. There is no difference. Consider the cow sent to the works it knows what going to happen to it as soon as it smells the blood but this is ok we don't think this is cruel because we eat it, Justified? Pig hunters have dogs that chase and hold pigs till they get there to kill them but that's Sport. I am a hunter and have done my share of possum control and still do in the name of protection of my crops and trees . I think this whole issue was sensationalised by the tv and should not have ended up in court
@Bevin
Posted on 18-07-2013 09:33 | By Reeff
I think you have totally missed the point.....its the way these swans were killed not the fact that they were killed. Yes they are a pest hence why there is a season for the culling of these birds ...
The way
Posted on 20-07-2013 13:00 | By Bevin
tabatha the way is the point and the fact that one method is concidered ok and the other regardless of weather there is a hunting season or not is not. These guys are both farmers and every morning at this time of year they have to kill the calves that are not wanted and send the bodies off to be processed so there attitude to killing something is different unlike the people never raised with any farming contact but still line up to buy there meat then pass judgement on what is cruel. the point is in this case there is no difference between a gun,poison or a jet boat. we all have different views on what is cruel.also read what the act says above about unnecessary pain etc again WHATS THE DIFF
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