16 September 2008

Horrible ferret cruelty caught on video - good or bad thing?

| Lilli
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[First filed: September 16, 2008 @ 09:13]

Did anyone else hear on Sunrise this morning about one/two* Canberran men who I believe are being prosecuted over a video found of them committing various acts of violence against two ferrets, some acts mentioned including sticking them with syringes and bashing them against walls.

At this point in time I can’t find an online news reference but I am still slightly in shock about which is more horrendous – the fact that the man/men committed these acts, or that they taped (and I presumed, uploaded) such disgusting things? What do you all think – is it better that people seem to be uploading videos of this vein (ie. bashings, cruelty) in an almost bid to want to be caught or not? I believe I’m of the opinion that stupid enough to commit the crime then stupid enough to get caught, but what makes these people think it’s a good idea to make footage like this publicly available, or in the first place, film it?!

*I apologise for the vague details but I just caught the story as I woke up and it got me thinking..

UPDATED: Thanks to MissB for pointing us to the RSPCA media release on this issue.

    The two pet ferrets named Trigger and Cooch were stabbed with syringes, locked in a freezer and smashed against walls. To make matters worse these acts were video taped.

    “Sadly only enough evidence exists to lay charges against two of the four alleged culprits, and I am pleading with the magistrate to hand out the harshest penalty possible.”

ANOTHER UPDATE: The ABC reports that Thomas Sorahan and Adriano Larobina, both 28, from Canberra, have been found guilty.

They will be sentenced next month but readers should take some satisfaction from the fact the men will forever have prospective employers and girlfriends googling their names, and finding this story.

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GB said :

While I welcome eloquent and well thought out posts, I also find some of the contributions from people who struggle to communicate to be rather more useful than those from the literate bullies.

BerraBoy68 said :

RiotACT welcomes anybody as contributors including prostitutes, self confessed druggies and even (God help us) the illiterate.

What use is a “right of reply” that excludes excludes people just because they are prostitutes, druggies or illiterate?

Do I want ferret torturers running around unrestrained? No. But I do want some insight into how they might think, which arno has provided.

I never said prostitutes, druggies etc… weren’t welcome GB. In fact, I said they are welcome. I think recent posts on drug use and the prostitution industry are fascintating and those who participate in these activities have contributed to interesting discussion. Since when have the quotes on the banners refelected the truth, commonsence or unanimous views? Take my comment in that particular post as being lighthearted.

Arno was attempting to threaten and intimidate people with violence and make them to afraid to express an opinion or speak out about animal cruelty.

This goes a lot further than giving insight into how somebody thinks. He’s getting exactly what he deserves, the bully.

While I welcome eloquent and well thought out posts, I also find some of the contributions from people who struggle to communicate to be rather more useful than those from the literate bullies.

BerraBoy68 said :

RiotACT welcomes anybody as contributors including prostitutes, self confessed druggies and even (God help us) the illiterate.

What use is a “right of reply” that excludes excludes people just because they are prostitutes, druggies or illiterate?

Do I want ferret torturers running around unrestrained? No. But I do want some insight into how they might think, which arno has provided.

That is so exciting, Berraboy68!! I love my Riot pin!

: )

That should read ‘finally’, oh the irony….

JohnBoy, here’s my blatent attempt to get a quote on the RiotACT’s header:

“RiotACT welcomes anybody as contributors including prostitutes, self confessed druggies and even (God help us) the illiterate. That said, I for one am not sure we need ferret torturers or their friends in our ranks”.

And yes folks, (he says with some shame) I’m back to fulltime work this month after an illness and am finaly set to become a premium member!

CHW said :

See: real people, grownup or otherwise, do not act on their every impulse.

That’s so true, CHW.

Sometimes I have a mad impulse to make written public death threats of copy-cat killings and beatings from violent movies, but I have always restrained myself until now because I was under the impression that it would be a pretty stupid thing to do.

Especially since johnboy has repeatedly emphasised how un-anonymous the internet really is.

But now I think, “Hell, if arno can avoid arrest then anybody can!”

*chortle snort*

Wow!

Soooooo… nice, to see that even real estate agents have friends!

I may be wrong, loyal supporter of a convicted criminal real estate agent; but I am sure that intelligent people notice the real concern behind anyone (not just a real estate agent) torturing small animals to death: such behaviour is way, way outside being acceptable to real people. Real people being individuals who can tell the difference between violent computer games, fantasies inside their own heads, and actual reality.

In fact, I am fairly certain that those people who posted to express their own emotionally-charged wishes for violent retribution to be visited upon the ferret-torturers, are able to realise that acting on their words is sadly not possible.

See: real people, grownup or otherwise, do not act on their every impulse.

arno said :

approach me and see what happens..

Very, very tempting to call you on this just to show you how insignificant you really are. You have no idea of the backgrounds, or size or physical abilities of anybody on this site so the common sense thing would be to suck it up. One thing I can guarantee is that even the smallest, weakest and least trained person on this site is bigger than a ferret so you’re already out of your depth.

It’s this attitude that got you where you are.

It’s fun so who cares?

*giggle*

I’m sure we’re beign trolled. There’s no way these idiots would come here, courting disaster. Surely? (Even so full of Moselle they’re sloshing).

If arno wants to see a gutless prick, he should take a look in the mirror or maybe take a leak.

Someone’s had too much Moselle.

why dont you pussies reveal your true identities and you will see what i do to lynch mobs…….. lynch mob my arse, if you people are anything like the calibre of deadshits that were at the courthouse, im sure you couldnt fight your way out of a wet paper bag. either way, approach me and see what happens.. i made a specific effort to wear my crocodile skin shoes to court just for you guys, im not sure if any of you noticed. next time i might wear my eagle skins and you can get a closer look while i am stomping on your heads… and dont think i dont know who a few of you gutless pricks are.. [NAME REDACTED], GHOST FACE.
oh.. and i ran over a frog yesterday morning, would you like to make a forum about that.? i think there are still some remains of the poor little guy on my tyre.

I had planned to go, but still no transport. I just want the owner to know that I am thinking of him today, and I hope that justice is served in some measure.

The sentencing is today – October 27th – and I hope that both men who were found guilty are punished to the full extent of the law.

I understand what you are saying, and I can sympathise with the point you are trying to make. However if you have read all the comments on this story you can clearly see that there are at least two people commenting here who know at least one of the people involved (those accused, or the man who owned the ferrets).

I’ll answer your questions –
– No, I was not there to see exactly what happened, only those who participated in harming the ferrets (and recording it) were there
– “The video” was available for me to view, but I chose not to. As I mentioned several weeks ago when I first commented, I knew the ferrets personally and there was no way that I wanted to see them being maliciously tortured for what, in my opinion, was only for the sake of having fun
– I didn’t need to read the stories in the newspapers to find out what happened because I already knew – the owner of the ferrets called me within hours of him finding out what happened back in May
– I know Tom and Arno (the two men charged) and the owner of the ferret personally

I guess we can never really know the full story of what happened that night, but having known those charged and the owner of the ferrets for nearly three years now, I know that I’m not someone just jumping on the bandwagon. My opinions of all three people were formed long before any of this happened and were based on what I saw with my own eyes and heard with my own ears.

In no way can it be considered a good thing that the family members of either of the guys charged fall ill, and I sincerely hope that they recover quickly.

The punishment is better left to, and will be left to the judicial system, and they will hopefully be made an example of. The number of animal cruelty cases across Australia seems to be rising each month – can you really be so surprised that the ACT community is so shocked and upset that this has happened right here, in our own backyard?

PS: You’re exactly right Bungle – this crime will haunt Tom and Arno forever. Simply browsing through allhomes and Facebook has made that abundantly clear.

Yes lookatyourself, animal cruelty is one of those things that gets most people riled up.

I’m sure all the threats of violence against the guilty are just people letting there anger out. Hopefully they will get a sentence fitting of the crime. But also these days, with the internet, their crime will be known by anyone googling their names for the rest of their lives.

lookatyourself12:11 am 19 Oct 08

Bungle & Ant – What I was trying to get at but perhaps didn’t put correctly was everyone seems to think they know everything about the ordeal. Yes they were found guilty of the crime and rightly so from what I have read, but I don’t speculate on any of the facts surrounding the case as I was not there to witness it first hand like I’m sure the rest of us weren’t. Like I said one paper says they had clear pictures of their faces in the video but yet another one says that they didn’t, so which are we to believe? I don’t care about the circumstances- they were found guilty so all I care about is that they get what they deserve.

I said it before and I’ll say it again, I am not condoning what they done- I too find it sickening and disturbing. As for karma, yes Ant your right, unfortunately like you said it didn’t work for these poor ferrets but I believe it will happen for these 2 idiots and they will get what they deserve. Personally I hope it is not just a slap on the wrist and a good behaviour bond as so many people who torture animals seem to get. They deserve no less than a year in prison and even that in my opinion is not long enough.

Lookat yourself said

lookatyourself said :

I, like everyone else hope that they both receive the jail time they so just deserve but at the end of the day, I also believe in karma.
What goes around comes around! They’ll get theirs

Karma didn’t work for those ferrets. They were friendly animals, by all accounts, trusting and giving. And they died in fear and pain, in agony. It was undeserved, it was uncourted. The beings they trusted as friends suddenly tortured them to death.

The sentencing is October 27th, next week I think?

lookatyourself said :

It amazes me how quickly everyone jumps on the bandwagon. Not only does everyone have an opinion – in which we are all entitled to but everyone also seems to think that they are aware of all the circumstances surrounding the case. Let me ask you where you there to see it? Did you see “the video” with your own eyes? Did you read the stories in the newspapers and add your own interpretation to it? Is it all just hear say? Or do you know somebody who’s friend’s cousin’s cousin is friends with a friend of a friend of a girl who works with the guy?

They were found guilty of injecting substances into harmless animals!!

What other circumstances are there?? The ferrets had been abusing them as a child??

lookatyourself11:26 pm 17 Oct 08

It amazes me how quickly everyone jumps on the bandwagon. Not only does everyone have an opinion – in which we are all entitled to but everyone also seems to think that they are aware of all the circumstances surrounding the case. Let me ask you where you there to see it? Did you see “the video” with your own eyes? Did you read the stories in the newspapers and add your own interpretation to it? Is it all just hear say? Or do you know somebody who’s friend’s cousin’s cousin is friends with a friend of a friend of a girl who works with the guy?
Sure we can all speculate on the details but will we ever really know the FULL story? How much can we believe from what we read in the paper? Afterall it is not gospel and they on many occasions have been known to be wrong, I mean I heard that they had clear footage of the faces of these 2 men yet I then heard somewhere else that they don’t- so which is it? I am not implying that this in not a horrendous act of animal cruelty but what I’m trying to get at is only the people involved, the police and the court will know the full story.

Another thing I am curious about, does anyone know the circumstances behind these 2 men? Although I’m sure no one really cares but has anyone ever stopped to think that there may have been ‘issues’ surrounding them? I am not in anyway defending them or their actions but surely a person of ‘sound’ mental state would not even think of committing such acts.

We are all quick to judge and the most common thing these boys will be judged by will be their upbringing. Well I can safely tell you that I have known the family (parents and siblings) of one of these people my entire life. They are people with strong family values who only wanted the best for their children by trying to instill into them those values. I have not spoke to them once about the saga with their son but I can assure you they would be extremely disappointed by his actions. This young man’s father has recently in the past week suffered a stroke which has left him paralysed. Say what you will about him and his actions but despite what people may think his son deserves the father is fine, honorable and well respected man who did not deserve such a tragic turn of his health.

Now don’t get me wrong I am in no way condoning the actions of these 2 people, as I too am disgusted by their behaviour and I cannot comprehend why someone would do such a thing. However that said, I do believe that their punishment is better left to the legal system, they are the only people that can actually do something about it and make an example of these 2 men that will hopefully get a message out to others- Animal cruelty is not tolerated and you will be punished. I think people need to stop and realise that the mob type wanna be gangsta shit is not going to solve anything.

I, like everyone else hope that they both receive the jail time they so just deserve but at the end of the day, I also believe in karma.
What goes around comes around! They’ll get theirs

VYBerlinaV8_the_one_they_all_copy said :

I’m sure they’ll have plenty of time to think about it when some nasty crim is sticking something sharp into THEM. Now that’s justice!

Or possibly sticking something blunt into them in the showers.

VYBerlinaV8_the_one_they_all_copy2:14 pm 29 Sep 08

I’m sure they’ll have plenty of time to think about it when some nasty crim is sticking something sharp into THEM. Now that’s justice!

Indeed, nobody should have to join a union full of kiwis.

Agreed. And im devastaed and angry that some brainless twat could actually defend the sick behaviour that the criminal bastards have engaged in. Just “FKN RATS AFTERALL”. Jesus. I would laugh if it wasnt so tragic.

I only just saw this post, I’m devestated and angry that someone could even do that to a ferret!

Ferrets are not rats, nor are they rodents.
They’re a variation on a weasel or a stoat, and were used as hunting assistants back in Roman-era Europe.
They have actual uses -in the pest control industry- eating and clearing out rabbits, rats, mice, and have another industrial use in running electrical cabling through small pipes.

In fact, one was a paid up and employed member of the New Zealand Electrical Workers’ Union back in the 1940s.

ruidiotsserious said :

i think all of you guys should just relax they are FUKN RATS AFTER ALL!!!!!!!!!
Yeah its bad wot these idiots have done but its at the end of the day these animals are rodents and all rodents should be exterminated thats why they have pest control!!!!!!
GET A FUCKEN LIFE MORONS

Reckon you should watch this one, vg!

; )

Where would we be without it?

ruidiotsserious said :

i think all of you guys should just relax they are FUKN RATS AFTER ALL!!!!!!!!!
Yeah its bad wot these idiots have done but its at the end of the day these animals are rodents and all rodents should be exterminated thats why they have pest control!!!!!!
GET A FUCKEN LIFE MORONS

Good to see the RiotAct tradition of imbeciles signing up to defend their criminal mates lives on.

Timberwolf655:21 am 23 Sep 08

hang the bastards, how dare these cowards treat these poor little dudes the way they did,what makes them think they have the right to do this, they are sick in the head and need to be dealt with, hell if they had done this to a human they would be in jail. It makes me sick to the stomach, sick f#ks.

ruidiotsserious6:58 pm 22 Sep 08

i think all of you guys should just relax they are FUKN RATS AFTER ALL!!!!!!!!!
Yeah its bad wot these idiots have done but its at the end of the day these animals are rodents and all rodents should be exterminated thats why they have pest control!!!!!!
GET A FUCKEN LIFE MORONS

VYBerlinaV8_the_one_they_all_copy9:33 pm 20 Sep 08

I am in no way condoning the ‘alleged’ behaviour of the mentioned post subject.

You’re a moron. They filmed it, and have been found guilty. They are assholes who should be locked up. Your attempt to muddy the water is pretty poor.

And what makes you think people here don’t volunteer for community organisations?

Lafan said :

I don’t remember see you volunteer at the RSVP.

Priceless!!

: )

Circumstantial??? You have to be kidding. Wasn’t there video footage?

Are you one of the guilty Lafan? or a relative perhaps??

I think there’s only one of us that needs to wake up around here.

Let he who has not sinned cast the first stone. I am in no way condoning the ‘alleged’ behaviour of the mentioned post subject.

I do find myself quite concerned with the comments thrown around in this forum as quite violent in their own rights. I do find I quite concerning the imagination of violent retribution some subscriber have. Violence begets violence? I am concerned for the lack of community awareness and accountability.

I don’t remember see you volunteer at the RSVP. I don’t remember you volunteer at collection time?

My imagination leads me to believe some of the people generating comments in this forum have some issues they need attend themselves. My imagination leads me to believe some people have too much time on their hands than to actually be proactive in helping society find the causation in such an alleged event.

‘Alleged?’ But, “Lafan they were found guilty”, you tell me. Well yes it obvious that from circumstantial evidence, one man and a bunch of ignoramus have found them guilty.

Wake up Canberra.

Ant – yeah. I think it is something that might depend on what other mitigation they have available. And there would be a certain irony in folk who put something on YouTube or whatever complaining because their character was freely analysed on another internet forum. I just wouldn’t want to give any argument any oxygen.

Thanks, ant. I have put it in my diary.

Sorry Vicepope, yes you might have a point there. Although I do wish that such nonsense didn’t get a run in court. Hopefully a NSW court can keep its eye on the ball and not get distracted by flim-flam.

Granny, if it’s the court I think it is, it is on the corner of Lowe St and Monaro St, next to the Qbn cops (both buildings are yucky concrete), opposite the original council chambers and diagonally opposite the Rusty Building, backing onto the big and excellent Qbn park, and a few doors down from teh Queanbo Bowlo.

So askme and fox, can you tell me where this court is? I will try to make it if at all possible. I would like the court to know that the community really does care about this sort of behaviour and do hold them accountable for justice. I would also like Cougs to know that we care about what he is going through.

Thanks so much for posting!

Ant – yup. I was aware that they had been found guilty. My point, perhaps a little subtle, was that their brief(s) will be able to make submissions on sentence – which hasn’t happened yet. The more their reputations are smashed up by the mob, and the more frequent the incendiary threats, the better will be the argument that their suffering to date has been such that a lighter judicial sentence might be appropriate. If accepted by the court, it might mean that they get lesser sentences than would otherwise be deserved.

I hope they do go to jail for this, and that their prison husbands have very large hands!

Anyone who doesn’t believe other animals can feel pain or experience distress like people can, or who just doesn’t care. You can’t make them care.

How could anyone do such things to friendly animals? it defies belief. The animals are friendly and trusting, and they tortured them. What sort of evil vicious mind can do that? They are being sentenced in NsW so it will be a proper gaol. I fervently hope that the magistrate does the right thing and sends them to one.

Like the author of post #71, I too knew both Cooch and Trigger. They were both wonderful, playful and intelligent boys who loved to play and cuddle.

When I first found out about what happened I was devastated – but could barely imagine what the ferrets owner, a good friend of mine, was going through. He has always been one of the strongest, bravest and most compassionate people I’ve known, and you can only admire his strength and courage for enduring the long investigation and day long case hearing. ** On ya Cougs! **

The two guys who appeared in court should both serve jail time for what they did to Trig and Cooch. I’ve never considered either of them to be “upstanding citizens” (in my opinion), and I would be grateful to have them off the street and serving jail time (but not here in Canberra – post #59 – send them off to Goulburn!).

If I can manage it, I’ll definitely try make it to the sentencing to support my friend, his family and the Ferret Society of Canberra (and to hopefully see Arno and Tom being dragged away).

Indeed, Bungle, a good question and one with a horrible answer, I suspect.

Ferret Bloke, please pass along our best wishes to the erstwhile ferret owner. I can’t imagine having to actually watch footage of one’s pets being tortured to death. It’s completely unthinkable. The poor guy.

The scary thing is that these guys only got caught because they are up there with the worlds greatest idiots and filmed their handywork.

How many other people are out there torturing their pets – or yours – without filming it for evidence.

AngryHenry, I believe you have mistaken what I was questioning in my headline. If you read the rest of my initial post and my subsquent replies you would see that my stance on animal cruelty is that of most normal-minded people. This type of cruelty leads to worse behaviour and those that perpetrate the crime should be punished as though the victims were human. My question was aimed towards the filming of the crime. Obviously in this case it has been a good thing as (half) of the perpetrators have been apprehended and will be sentenced. The bad part about the filming is that as someone has previously alluded to, these people must perceive a demand for producing documented evidence like this. Not even specifically animal cruelty, but how many mentions of bashings being uploaded to youtube have we heard about recently? I believe this indicates there are many people in our society who are a lot more twisted and sick than we are led to believe.

askme, I’m glad you have found some support through this forum. I didn’t anticipate such a huge response to this story when I first posted it but my faith in humanity has been slightly sturdied by the anti-animal cruelty stance everyone has put forward through their responses. I really hope the other two idiots are identified and that the sentence to the two already implicated is adequate. My thoughts go out to the poor owner – it seems he has a lot of support so hopefully he can heal from this as soon as possible.

askmeaboutyourferret@gmail.com10:10 am 18 Sep 08

All,
I have only just been alerted to this site by a friend in Melbourne. Thank you all for your messages of support. I knew the animals involved very well, one was a rescue of mine (Cooch) and Trigger was related to my boy Harvey. There was 4 men involved in the torture. 2 are still on the loose. One of them has apparently done this sort of thing before.
We all here at the Ferret Society of Canberra are just horrified. Many, like me, who were involved closely with the Trial and who knew the animals are severely traumatised by the experience. I do want to publicly acknowledge the owner of Trigger and Cooch though, this has been really hard for him, seeing the sickening images over and over again, but he went through with the trial. His courage is inspiring.
The sentencing is on Oct 27th, lets hope a custodial sentence is imposed. Feel free to come to court if you’d like to support- should start at 9.30 am. For more information, call the phone number on the Ferret Society of Canberra website.
Thanks heaps guys – really appreciate it.

F*ck ’em. If these psycho cretins get a couple of years in jail they still wouldn’t go through the terror that these poor animals went through.

Maybe not a lynch mob, but a severe mauling by a couple of wild dogs would do the trick.

I was going to say that they should be jabbed with syringes themselves but it looks like these guys do that to themselves for fun.

I can’t beleive in your headline you have to ask if it is a ‘good or bad thing’!?!?!?!

What the f*ck do you reckon??? Do you need to ask?

Oh let’s have a vote, cruelty to animals, good or bad?

Come on now!

Yes that’s true the sentence is yet to be delivered. I have to admit thought (based on past incidences ive seen) i don’t have that much faith in the harsh sentencing for animal cruelty. Heres hoping for a revelation hey?

Kudos to you for mentioning the wombats too… i read about that the other day. cowards. i hope somebody here knows who’s doing it and reports them.

VYBerlinaV8_the_one_they_all_copy3:03 pm 17 Sep 08

Look, I don’t think anyone here is seriously talking about going around and physically injuring anyone. It’s completely understandable for people to show a bit of anger about such a hideous act.

It will be interesting to see what sentence gets handed down to these scumbags.

Deadmandrinking2:54 pm 17 Sep 08

VYBerlinaV8_the_one_they_all_copy said :

You’re a real hero, DMD.

Better than a serial pest, though 🙂

Mish Mash, that’s great to hear. You need to remember these people haven’t been sentenced yet, though.

Actually deadmandrinking i do volunteer at the RSPCA, every second weekend. And it breaks my heart everytime i hear about pr*cks like these guys doing things like this to innocent animals. If i could be batman you bet your sweet bippy i would be and these guys would be the top of my list.

i think more than a little sarcasm was flying around here with the lynching and pitch fork comments. well from me anyways.

sometimes though when you see the justice system fail miserably and give sicko’s like these guys incredibly lenient sentences the idea of hanging them out to dry yourself becomes a little bit more appealing everytime.

VYBerlinaV8_the_one_they_all_copy2:33 pm 17 Sep 08

You’re a real hero, DMD.

Loquaciousness1:09 pm 17 Sep 08

Deadmandrinking said :

I’m sorry, I just can’t stomach wannabe lynch-mobs. They do nothing except waste time with their wannabe heroics. Real heroes make real changes.

Absolutely.

It is kind of funny to imagine though 😉

L

Vicepope, discussion about the identified perps BEFORE the verdict might hav been sub judice, and it might have been arguable that the duscussion influenced the jury.

However, the verdict has been handed down, there was no jury, and the magistrate who pronounced the verdict will also set the sentence. Our discussion has no bearing on it. Also, the perps were not publicly named until the verdict was read.

They have been pronounced guilty, and we can discuss it.

Deadmandrinking11:59 am 17 Sep 08

Just like Batman, huh? I’ll tell you what you’d do if he showed up on your front doorstep brandishing a knife, you’d sh-t yourself, just like most human beings.

I have a suggestion, why don’t you, instead of harassing employers of criminals who would have had no prior knowledge of this man’s capabilities to do such things, why don’t you allow the justice system and the Real-estate industries efforts to employ decent staff take their courses without wasting time. Show your support for these men being criminally convicted, sure, I do.

If you really want to help animals, maybe volunteer for the RSPCA. If you don’t have the time, which is perfectly understandable, you can always donate. Also, if you do see, suspect or hear of anyone mistreating animals (such as the prick out C-Flat, Braidwood way who thinks it’s funny to go around putting bullets in wombats – word of mouth is someone’s bragging about it, if you hear anything, let the RSPCA or the police know asap) – interevene by reporting them.

I’m sorry, I just can’t stomach wannabe lynch-mobs. They do nothing except waste time with their wannabe heroics. Real heroes make real changes.

VYBerlinaV8_the_one_they_all_copy11:45 am 17 Sep 08

DMD – we’ll send him to the new gaol where he can be hugged and nurtured back to social health.

If I was a legal practitioner representing these characters, I reckon I might seek a lower penalty on the basis of the amount of adverse and prejudicial material being spouted here. So, if we really want a fair penalty that’s the full whack, we should perhaps start being a bit quieter. Just a thought.

Deadmandrinking11:40 am 17 Sep 08

I see the Riot-Act regulars are turning vigilante. Question, if this guy does turn out to be a psychopathic serial killer, what are you going to do?

VYBerlinaV8_the_one_they_all_copy10:54 am 17 Sep 08

Double post – bizarre. I didn’t even press the button twice!

VYBerlinaV8_the_one_they_all_copy10:45 am 17 Sep 08

Hopefully Wright Dunn will sack this a$$hole. There’s only one ‘Sorahan’ listing in the whitepages for Canberra, probably his parents, so the odds of there being more than one Thomas Sorahan in Canberra is pretty damn small.

That said, we should confirm it’s really him first, and not just a really unfortunate coincidence. But if it IS him, maybe flooding Wright Dunn with emails about this guy will get some results.

VYBerlinaV8_the_one_they_all_copy10:45 am 17 Sep 08

Hopefully Wright Dunn will sack this a$$hole. There’s only one ‘Sorahan’ listing in the whitepages for Canberra, probably his parents, so the odds of there being more than one Thomas Sorahan in Canberra is pretty damn small.

That said, we should confirm it’s really him first, and not just a really unfortunate coincidence. But if it IS him, maybe flooding Wright Dunn with emails about this guy will get some results.

@ #48 – The Brad

It gives a bit more detail here.

http://www.canberratimes.com.au/news/local/news/general/pair-guilty-of-ferret-torture/1274467.aspx

“pinging” isnt the description of someone on alcohol, its a drug high. i don’t think it was malt liquor they were putting in the poor little furry fellas. not to mention one already had a broken leg at that point.

poor things. sign me up for the lynch mob once we confirm the identities.

Give me solid evidence that it’s him

According to post #44, it’s the same guy.
If it’s not the same guy, then Canberra Times should get sued.

I’ve got a nice rusty pitchfork, if you want to borrow it.

tylersmayhem10:10 am 17 Sep 08

I would like to name and shame the f**kers just as much as anyone – but can I suggest that it be 100% confirmed that the agent listed on allhomes is infact the same guy for sure. Otherwise you could potentially pin the wrong guy, ruin an innocent persons career and possibly life.

Give me solid evidence that it’s him, and I’ll be first to grab a pitch fork and start marching.

Has anyone tried calling his mobile to find out more?

Growling Ferret9:54 am 17 Sep 08

Cruelty to Ferrets? On behalf of my brothers, send them to Abu Graib!

Why did these guys have needles at home?

http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2008/09/16/2366327.htm

From reading this news reports, sounds to me, like the culprits , who were drunk at the time, were injecting (not stabbing) the ferrets with alcohol. I’m guessing the ferrets overdosed.
I couldn’t see any mention of evidence stating they were locked in freezer or smashed against walls, but still, trying to get an animal drunk is the sort of thing a 10 year old does before their parent explains that it’s cruel.
These guys should have known better, but hopefully they’ll learn the lesson the hard way.

These guys are complete filth. I hope the justice system will for once step up to the plate and give them a harsh sentence. There’s some bad wiring in these guys heads to do something like that.

I used to have a ferret and have met the victim mentioned a number of times, he’s a lovely guy who treats his animals very well, I can’t even imagine how upset he would have been finding the images. I hope these guys get raked over the coals.

Has anyone found them on facebook? i think tom’s inbox is going to packed out with abusive e-mails very shortly….

This guy, and anyone who chooses to associate with him, is the scum of the earth and I hope he gets whats coming to him.

Yep, its the same guy (judging from the photo in the Canberra Times this morning)
Even lists his number and email address. What a sicko

Thomas Sorahan

Contact Details:
Mobile: 0420 468 754
Email: tom@wrightdunn.com.au

Great career move … duh!

http://www.allhomes.com.au/ah/ah0073?slid=167210961

Yep. Looks like the bloke in the news report. Certainly the hairdo.

Yep. We can’t put them in the stocks any more, but we have newspapers (and websites). This kind of crime sickens all normal people. As they are about to discover.

I guess we’ll find out tomorrow if his agency has removed him from their listings.

But what a bunch of sick bastards. Hopefully it’s front page of the CT tomorrow and maybe even the Daily Telegraph – they tend to jump on stories like this.

If it’s not then I pity the bloke!

I wonder if it’s the same Thomas Sorahan listed as an real estate agent based at Ainslie, and listed on Allhomes.com.au (with photo), or if it’s just a coincidence.

The worst bit is that another two may have gotten off scott free for lack of evidence.

On WIN news it was mentioned that the torturers were housemates of the ferret’s owner ( and presumably of the ferrets too ).

At the very least I’d hope these specimens were banned from keeping pets of any kind forever, but I doubt that would happen.

Oh, the poor guy!

Here it is, off the ABC news website (and another horrible thing, they were someone else’s pets, and he saw the footage):

Men found guilty of torturing ferrets

Map: Queanbeyan 2620
A New South Wales magistrate has found two men guilty of torturing two pet ferrets last May.

Thomas Sorahan and Adriano Larobina, both 28, from Canberra are charged with committing a serious act of animal cruelty intending to inflict serious pain,

The court has heard the owner of the ferrets, Andrew Bell from Queanbeyan, found pictures and a video of his pets on his housemate’s camera.

Mr Bell told the court the images showed one of his pets being poked with a syringe and the video showed it being injected.

He said his pets looked distressed and one seemed to have a broken leg.

The court heard that the ferrets have not been found.

The men will be sentenced next month.

It was mentioned on tonight’s news (ABC, I think), and they showed the little mongrels exiting the courthouse, and named them. I didn’t catch the names, but they are public. They were found guilty, and sentencing is next month.

Come on Queanbo magistrate, let’s see some justice. Actually, jail time will be nothing to what they made those animals suffer, but it’s the best we can do.

Well I’m assuming if the case was being heard this morning at 9am that a charge will come out from it some time very soon.. I can’t imagine it would be hard to come to a verdict with such damning evidence against them.

VYBerlinaV8_the_one_they_all_copy4:17 pm 16 Sep 08

Well presumably the names will become public once they are charged, yeah? The names should definitely be published.

I think there is a serious need for a local justice advocacy website, similar to GetUp, where Canberrans can have their say on sentences; and actively lobby MLAs, write letters to the editor etc. or organise gatherings to protest the really sucky decisions. The site could initiate cool things like, anybody who disagrees with this decision tie a yellow ribbon on their car or outside the court or whatever. You would think in a democracy the people should have some say about how justice is done within their community.

tylersmayhem4:08 pm 16 Sep 08

So… are there names to name yet? Surely the community needs to know who these pieces of $hit are?

Let’s find out and then pool $200 as a forum and send Roadrage77 round to pay these f**kers a visit?! I’ll start it off with $50!

VYBerlinaV8_the_one_they_all_copy3:59 pm 16 Sep 08

So… are there names to name yet? Surely the community needs to know who these pieces of $hit are?

If it is as it appears to be (ie, if it really happened and the humans were acting voluntarily), this is terrible. Would it be so wrong to introduce the alleged perpetrators to the old Yorkshire pastime of “ferret down the trousers”? The ingredients are (a) no undies, (b) baggy pants tied at the waist and legs and (c) a ferret, possibly hungry. When done competitively, I understand that it was a matter of who could last longest.

Hopefully they’ll get 2-3 years in jail. That’s the harshest punishment I’ve heard dealt out for crimes against animals.

Hopefully, they’ll get extra charges as well e.g. distribution of a snuff film.

I’d be surprised they were engaged in commercial production if they were recording on phone cameras.

Which doesn’t mean they’re not complete twats deserving of all the harsh justice a Queanbeyan magistrate is likely to give them.

The fact that it was filmed to me indicates that the perpetrators perceived a demand.

I feel very strongly about this sort of thing given that a friend recently returned from a trip to Asia where young girls of preschool age required colostomy bags due to the physical damage inflicted on them in the production of child pornography. Video footage of the rape could be purchased just down the road for AU$2.00.

Those who are creating a demand for violence and cruelty should be punished just as harshly as the perpetrators to my mind. They are just as sick, only more cowardly.

I don’t believe there should be any distinction made in these cases at all. Throw the book at the perpetrators. Throw the book at the consumers. If even one animal or child could be saved because somebody thought it might not pay then it would be worth it.

Unfortunately, cruelty to animals with minimal punishment is an international occurrence.
I’d rather be an animal in Australia, than in Mexico or China.

Unfortunately, pet shops don’t run a psych test on their clients.

ant – I guess that was my main concern when I heard the story initially. You hear all over the place about the sort of behaviour this callousness leads to but we are all well too aware of the inadequate punishment (read: slap on the wrist) these two will get. It disgusts me to know I live in a society with people who perpetrate such heinous crimes, and also with people who let them get away with it without a decent punishment/rehabilitation tactic that might prevent further incidents.

If this horrible stuff is to be dealt-with, the law has to be upgraded to reflect teh opinion of society, and also recognise where cruelty to animals leads. People who beat/torture animals are aberrant, and must be controlled and treated.

For too long, the laws have reflected an attitude that crimes against animals are somehow frivolous; I think times have changed and people have no tolerance for this any more. I think many people now expect the law to be very harsh on people who do these terrible things.

How often do you read about some violent criminal, and find that they also hurt animals?

GottaLoveCanberra2:04 pm 16 Sep 08

I’m all for hanging them off Commonwealth Bridge as examples!

Trevor fincham1:24 pm 16 Sep 08

I agree that this is disgraceful behaviour

BUT,

Talk to me about the sentence that the ‘judge’ will give them.

Good behaviour bonds. At worst.

THAT is the biggest injustice about this story/ article.

Because the poor cane operator might become tired. 🙂

Oh, pick me, pick me.

split the cane, dip it in a mixture of vinegar and deep heat, split cane tearing/grabbing loose skin, you get the picture. three to five strokes ought do the trick…

and you are called Mr Evil…

Because the poor cane operator might become tired. 🙂

>with a bamboo cane for 3 hours

Why the limit?

Tie them up and smack their scrotums with a bamboo cane for 3 hours.

DarkLadyWolfMother12:24 pm 16 Sep 08

I’m glad idiots like this film their acts and release them. That way there’s more chance of catching them.

I’m hoping once they’re caught something ‘appropriate’ is done to…cough…for them.

This makes me ultra-angry. Poor animals are defenceless. Pick on a human next time, you scum.
Time for a good old fashioned lynch mob?

This is when we really need A Thousand Fists.

Loquaciousness11:35 am 16 Sep 08

tylersmayhem said :

I’m talking goal time, not just a fine, community service or some other light punishment.

Is that when we line them up against a wall and use them as goals by throwing (preferably hard and pointy) objects at them?

If so, sounds like a suitable punishment to me!

L

absolutely disgusting and sickening. while obviously the committing of the crime itself is beyond most people’s comprehension including my own – i cannot also not comprehend the people who witness these sorts of crimes and do not try and stop the perpetrators or do not report them. i view those people with almost as much disgust as the people who commit the crime itself.

tylersmayhem11:29 am 16 Sep 08

Full resources need to be spent finding these f**kers and making and example out of them. I’m talking goal time, not just a fine, community service or some other light punishment. I also believe offenders should go on a cruelty to animals register so people can know if such people live in close proximity to their pets. My wife had a cat before I met her years ago, ad they found it dead one day with a piece of tanbark shoved down it’s throat. Odd;y enough, the neighbor used to beat his dog. Coincidence?!

Just as importantly, be able to keep track of if they are continuing to offend and look for more serious behavior as mentioned earlier in the post.

Woody Mann-Caruso11:21 am 16 Sep 08

I’m opposed to the death penalty. I am not, however, opposed to stabbing these yokel pigf.ckers with syringes, locking them in a freezer, smashing them against walls and doing other things to them too horrific for a press release.

There is a media release in the rspca act website about it. Not much detail (which might be a good thing?)

http://www.rspca-act.org.au/pages/images/QbnCourtCase.pdf

Loquaciousness10:39 am 16 Sep 08

Beserk Keyboard Warrior said :

You would be hard pressed to find a serial killer who didn’t cut their teeth torturing animals. It is a real worry.

Not just serial killers – from stuff I’ve read, most sociopaths start out by torturing and murdering animals – they start small with mice and rats (and ferrets?) and gradually, as they pursue a bigger thrill, they start killing bigger animals. Of course, humans are a natural progression.

I’m with Thumper – lock ’em up now before they start seeking those ‘bigger’ thrills …

L

hairy nosed wombat10:28 am 16 Sep 08

The only other place i could find anything about this case was on the Animal Liberation Website.

http://www.al-act.org/Ferret+Cruelty+Case

Beserk Keyboard Warrior10:07 am 16 Sep 08

You would be hard pressed to find a serial killer who didn’t cut their teeth torturing animals. It is a real worry.

hairy nosed wombat9:55 am 16 Sep 08

They were talking about it on Sunrise as the case is bing heard today (Tuesday) in a Queenbeyan court.

On Tuesday 16 September at 9am, Queanbeyan court will hear a case, including video evidence against two individuals charged with torturing to death two ferrets owned by their housemate. The disturbing incident was recorded on a camera phone. In a violent rage, the two pet ferrets, ‘Trigger’ and ‘Cooch’ were stabbed with syringes, locked in a freezer, smashed against walls and had other things done to them too horrific for this press release. All who have seen the video evidence are dumbfounded at the heinous nature of these crimes. It is alleged that on the video four distinct voices can be heard, but due to the lack of evidence, only two people have been charged.

From Margo Kingstons web diary

People who do this sort of thing, filmed or not, are psycopaths and won’t stop at animals. The law needs to be made much tougher in animal cruelty cases, in recognition of its inherent evilness, and what it leads to (cruelty against people, especially kids).

As for filming acts of cruelty, a psychologist could probably explain what that’s about. Exhibitionism, desire to relive the cruelty, I do not know.

I don’t think they do it to get caught, but let’s hope that’s what happens.

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