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Express & Star 24/06/04
Central News also showed footage of the kids 'flipping the bird' and 'kung-fu' kicking towards the cameras.
BBCi News 24/06/04
Young thugs who tortured animals
By Wyn Matthews and Marion Brennan
Jun 24, 2004, 16:14
Horrific details of attacks by three schoolboys on wallabies at Dudley Zoo were revealed in court today.
The children admitted animal cruelty following the horrific deaths of two wallabies on separate occasions. One was killed outright and the other put down later.
The identities of two of the culprits were today revealed after the Express & Star had an order banning their naming overturned.
Kieran Anslow and Ryan Jones, both aged 11, were sentenced today over the death of a five-month-old wallaby, Roo, found dead in its enclosure at the Castle Hill site early on May 6.
They and a 10-year-old boy, who must remain anonymous, were also sentenced in connection with the other attack, on April 21, which left an eight-year-old female wallaby so badly hurt it had to be put down.
Miss Julia Savage, prosecuting, said the youngsters were caught after police officers heard two of them talking about "killing a kangaroo at the zoo". "All three found this to be highly amusing - were laughing and joking about it," she said.
All three admitted causing unnecessary suffering to a group of parma wallabies on April 21. Anslow and Jones also admitted the same offence committed in May.
The court heard that the two and another boy climbed into the wallaby enclosure on May 5, released them from their hutch and chased them for about 45 minutes.
One of the children repeatedly threw a baby wallaby into a pool until it had died.
The judge heard Anslow, Jones and the 10-year-old, who appeared before the court, had previously climbed into the wallaby enclosure on April 21.
District judge Michael Morris sentenced all three boys to a 12-month referral order - to refer them to a youth offender panel which would address issues such as looking at the consequences of their crimes and integrating them into the community.
He ordered the 10-year-old's parents to pay £200 and the parents of Anslow and Jones to pay £450 each in compensation to the zoo. Defence solicitors told the court that the youngsters did not realise the consequences of their actions.
And after the case, the devastated mother of Kieran Anslow described her son as an animal lover.
Single mother-of-five Dawn Anslow said the 11-year-old had always kept pets and even asked to take in stray cats.
The court heard that it was her son who had picked up the injured wallaby in the first attack in April and returned it to its pen. The creature, which suffered a broken limb after being chased by the boys, later had to be put down.
The youngster told police in interview that he had stopped running after the animals after a while because he thought it was cruel.
Lynda Gudgeon, defending him, told the court how the boy, as the eldest, helped change his siblings' nappies and fill the bottles for their milk.
Children admit wallaby killings
Three children who terrorised a group of wallabies at a Black Country zoo have walked free from court.
[...]
The nine-year-old boy escaped prosecution because of his age.
The judge lifted a restriction banning the naming of the two 11 year olds because of the deterrent effect it would have.
[...]
The court heard that on 21 April Jones, Anslow and the 10-year-old entered the enclosure at the zoo by climbing over a hut after it had closed.
They chased the marsupials around until they "looked sad" and were breathing heavily but denied kicking them.
Boxes were also used to try and catch them, the court was told.
One wallaby suffered a broken leg in the incident was later put down.
The court was also told how on 5 May Jones and Anslow returned to the zoo, with the nine year old again to chase the animals.
On this occasion, one of the three threw a five-month-old wallaby into a nearby pond, in what was said to be an attempt to wash it.
[...]
"The behaviour of all three boys in unforgivable. Peer pressure is no excuse," said District Judge Michael Morris.
[...]
The offences, particularly the barbarity of the second incident involving Anslow and Jones, had offended many people, he added.
"I believe there is a risk of them reoffending and it's right in their case to lift the restrictions."
"All three went into that enclosure in April intent on having what they describe as fun, but which was in fact the most serious form of cruelty."
District Judge Michael Morris