Kangaroo Dragged to Death Behind Car: ‘Vermin’ Caller’s Chilling Confession Sparks Outrage
- A 60-year-old man has pleaded guilty to aggravated animal cruelty after dragging a conscious kangaroo behind his car for hundreds of metres, leaving it with severe injuries
- The kangaroo, found alive but struggling to breathe, later died at a wildlife sanctuary due to the extent of its injuries
- The man, who described kangaroos as “complete vermin” and “jumping rats”, showed no remorse for his actions and will be sentenced in February
In a shocking display of cruelty, a 60-year-old man has pleaded guilty to dragging a conscious kangaroo behind his car for hundreds of metres, leaving the injured animal to suffer a slow and agonising death.
Michael Anthony Holmes, from Bywong, appeared at Queanbeyan Local Court, where he admitted to an act of aggravated cruelty upon an animal following the death of a female kangaroo in April this year.
A court hearing revealed that Holmes had discovered the injured kangaroo lying near a fence on his property early in the morning on April 13. Instead of calling for help, he returned to the kangaroo later that afternoon and fastened a nylon rope around its neck while it was still conscious and breathing.
The kangaroo was then dragged about 400 metres from Holmes’s property to an embankment outside his property, with court documents describing the road as a “hard surface” that caused severe injuries to the animal’s ribs and hip area.
A Good Samaritan discovered the injured animal alive but struggling to breathe, and contacted an emergency wildlife rescue line. The kangaroo was taken to the Possumwood Wildlife Sanctuary in Bungendore, where it later died due to the extent of its injuries.
When questioned by police, Holmes showed no remorse for his actions, describing kangaroos as “complete vermin” and “jumping rats”. He claimed he had “relocated” the kangaroo to prevent it from dying on his property, but police labelled his actions as “cruel” and “reckless”.
“I had no choice but to do what I did,” Holmes told police. “I didn’t want it to die on my property.”
Holmes will be sentenced in February, and faces a maximum penalty for aggravated animal cruelty. The community is left reeling in outrage over the senseless act of violence, with many calling for harsh punishment for the perpetrator.