A man accused of dragging a live kangaroo by its neck from the back of a car will fight his animal cruelty charges.
Michael Holmes has been charged with recklessly beating and causing prolonged suffering, and aggravated animal cruelty after the seriously injured kangaroo was found in the NSW Snowy Mountains region, about 35km northwest of Canberra.
The 61-year-old kept his head down as his lawyer entered not guilty pleas to both charges at Queanbeyan Local Court on Monday.
“Looking at the charges, I expect it to be a brief matter,” magistrate Roger Clisdell said.
Police allege the Bywong man tied the adult, female kangaroo to his car on the afternoon of April 13 and dragged it 400 metres from a property to the road.
A woman discovered the animal soon after down an embankment, still alive with a rope tied around its neck.
The kangaroo had suffered severe lacerations to its rib and hip area.
A local rescue organisation picked up the animal from Bywong and took it to nearby Bungendore.
But it died before police arrived.
The prosecution is hoping to include photographs of the animal in the evidence, the court was told on Monday.
Holmes’s matter will return to court on July 14.
He is not subject to any bail conditions.
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