Philip Tripp loses appeal to keep companion bird after killing ‘beloved family cat,’ but sentence reduced

A previous publisher of an animal magazine convicted of drowning a pet cat has unsuccessful to regain custody of his “companion parrot,” but he has correctly had his sentence downgraded in NSW District Court. 

This report incorporates an impression that may be distressing for some persons.

Philip Gregory Tripp was charged with killing a domestic cat named Mango very last July at his two-hectare house in Coffs Harbour on the NSW Mid North Coastline. 

He sparked a important public backlash in excess of the killing when he uploaded an impression of the feline in a cage sitting atop a rubbish bin loaded with drinking water to social media in a post that browse: “The initially feral cat of the season.”

The 71-year-old’s eclectus parrot named Jackson — his pet of additional than 20 years — was taken away from him soon after his conviction of the animal cruelty offence, which prohibits him from proudly owning or caring for an animal.

The loss of Mr Tripp’s so-called “companion parrot” formed the principal basis of his enchantment to overturn his conviction.

In the course of submissions last 7 days, Mr Tripp’s defence attorney Carlo Bianchino introduced a report from avian vet Rob Marshall, who famous it would be unachievable to replicate the sophisticated bond involving Mr Tripp and his parrot.

Mr Bianchino reported, dependent on Dr Marshall’s conclusions, the fowl may endure from conditions these types of as digestive concerns and the onset of illnesses if separated from Mr Tripp for a extended interval.

But on Wednesday in the district court docket in Coffs Harbour, Choose Jonathon Priestly mentioned the probable detrimental effects on the parrot had been “overstated”.

He cited 1 of the defence’s submissions from a girl who cared for Jackson at least the moment a calendar year for up to eight weeks at a time.

“Whilst [Jackson] could pass up his proprietor, he just isn’t likely to experience dying as a final result,” Judge Priestly said.

Even with Mr Tripp keeping he was trying to protect his house from feral cats, the judge explained there was no evidence Mr Tripp experienced tried to confirm if the cat was feral or not.

The decide famous Mr Tripp’s eagerness about killing the “beloved family cat” and boastfulness of publishing about the incident to social media.

“No question the cat was frightened in the cage,” the judge reported.

Throughout his judgement, Judge Priestly acknowledged Mango’s operator, Emma Votto claimed the 71-yr-outdated was “honest and remorseful for his actions” in his published apology to the family.

The decide described Mr Tripp as a ‘law-abiding person with an interest in conserving wildlife’ mirrored via his prior publication of the City Animal as very well as his character references.

Judge Priestly acknowledged Mr Tripp’s sentence was reduced in part due to the fact of his cleanse document, his plea of responsible at the earliest option and regret.

The severity of Mr Tripp’s sentence was lowered from an intensive corrections order to a fewer restrictive 12-month local community corrections get.