An landscaper who was filmed allegedly killing a helpless native bird with a whipper-snipper before dumping it and its eggs in a bin has been ‘dealt with’ by his employers, his boss has claimed.
Shocking security footage apparently showed an employee of Elly Property Services using a whipper snipper to tear a Swopping Plover to shreds outside of a home in Beresfield, northwest of Newcastle, on November 14, last year.
He can be seen stomping on the critically injured bird’s head and dumping it in the bin before gathering its unhatched eggs and throwing them beside the bird’s tattered body.
The homeowner who recorded the footage released the clip on social media last week to spread the story just days before going into into palliative care with a terminal illness, a close friend told Daily Mail Australia
The video went viral on social media, sparking a reaction from the company’s boss Ian Elly to deny he was to blame.
He said the RSPCA and courts were investigating the incident and his company had ‘dealt with’ the worker involved.
An gardener seen on security footage killing a swooping plover with a whipper snipper had been ‘dealt with’ by his employer (pictured)
Ian Elly (pictured), said he and his family received threats of violence after being wrongly identified as the employee
‘I am the owner of this business,’ he posted under the home-owner’s video.
‘You know for a fact this was not me in this clip, you also know we do not condone this act.
‘You also know this is being investigated by the RSPCA, national parks and wildlife and NSW courts since the incident last year in November.
‘We have assisted all through their investigations and still are if they need anything further from us.’
He added: ‘This incident is currently sitting with the court to make a decision for the person involved, which I’ll remind you again is not myself.
‘We are not involved in this case whatsoever and is a personal matter between the RSPCA, parks and wildlife and the NSW courts.’
He said he had been the victim of a vicious hate campaign from animal lovers since the video first surfaced.
‘I have received numerous threats of violence to myself and my family from your Facebook post with false information,’ he blasted.
The homeowner said he had told the gardeners to steer clear of the bird which he had been watching for several years when it returned to nest every summer.
He claimed he had told the workers not to mow on the patch of grass with the bird and to leave it in peace.
But the footage appears shows the employee walking towards the bird which tried to scare the gardener away from its nest before it was apparently ripped to pieces by the whipper snipper.
He and another employee were then seen disposing of the bird and a bundle of feathers torn off by the tool.
The footage apparently shows the employee (pictured) stomping on the critically injured bird’s head before appearing to dump it and the eggs it was protecting in a nearby bin
The homeowner called the RSPCA after the shocking discovery and an investigation was launched into the incident which also found the bird’s eggs in the bin.
A National Parks and Wildlife Service (NPWS) spokesperson said they were ‘aware’ of the incident.
‘The NPWS … has been working with the RSPCA on the criminal investigation,’ a spokesman said.
‘The online footage is shocking and extremely upsetting.’
Harming a native animal is an offence which carries a maximum penalty of a $14,000 fine.
Daily Mail Australia has contacted Mr Elly for comment.
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