Farm worker filmed kicking and torturing animals successfully appeals sentence

WARNING: Distressing images

A Broken Hill farm hand jailed for filming and sharing acts of his own animal cruelty is out of jail after serving two-and-a-half months behind bars.

Jet Jai Johnson, 21, was sentenced to 14 months’ imprisonment in July after pleading guilty to five separate offences of animal cruelty involving native wildlife and livestock, including a kangaroo, a joey and three kid goats.

The disturbing footage was widely circulated on social media.

The videos show Johnson running over an injured kangaroo’s head with his dirt bike and fighting an exhausted kangaroo.

But on Friday, Johnson’s appeal was upheld in the Broken Hill District Court, with Judge Clive Jeffreys reducing his sentence to nine months to be served in the community, the ABC reported.

The court heard Johnson had already secured employment with a former boss stepping forward to offer him a job that would keep him away from animals.

Character references by Johnson’s workplace described the young man as remorseful and said his actions were “out of character”.

In one video related to Johnson’s offending, a baby animal appears to approach him expecting food before it is kicked violently.

The video shows the goat landing metres away.

Defence barrister Rebecca Mitchell told the court Johnson had likely been affected by ADHD, that his time in custody had been a “significant wake-up” and that Johnson “loved animals”.

“He has very good prospects of rehabilitation,” she said.

“He is unlikely to offend again.”

Jeffreys acknowledged Johnson’s age at the time of the offending at 20 years old and said it was recognised that men do not intellectually mature until their early 20s.

“He had to celebrate his 21st birthday in custody,” the judge told the court.

“It’s been a wake-up call.”

“As a result of these offences and the great deal of publicity, the appellant lost his employment and will not be able to return to that sort of work — animal husbandry.”

The court heard Johnson’s work in animal husbandry, including euthanising livestock, had made him become “desensitised” to the situation.

“According to the material before me, he was engaged ... in assisting animal husbandry, which included from time to time being involved in and euthanasing various animals,” he said.

“He became desensitised. That is not an excuse, but needs to be taken into account.”

Johnson must now comply with an intensive correction order, including ongoing psychological treatment and a strict no-offending condition.

The condition of the kangaroos filmed remain unknown.

In NSW, kangaroos are protected under the Biodiversity Conservation Act 2016 and cannot be harmed without a licence, while federal law makes it an offence to kill, injure or capture any kangaroo or wallaby.

People convicted of animal cruelty — including killing or injuring kangaroos — face up to five years in jail and fines of up to $22,000.