EXCLUSIVE
The gardener caught on camera killing a native Australian bird was seriously injured in a car crash months later, WhatsNew2Day Australia can reveal.
The shocking footage, which emerged earlier this week, shows an Elly’s Property Services employee destroying a plover with scissors before stomping on its head and throwing it in the bin.
The whistleblower who shared the disturbing video of the savage act in Thornton, near Newcastle, died on Thursday after a five-year battle with cancer.
The complainant, whose friends asked not to be identified, posted the video as his condition was deteriorating on March 31.
Elly’s Property Services founder Ian Elly told WhatsNew2Day Australia he fired the employee over the murder shortly before he was seriously injured in a car accident.
He added that the former employee may “never work again.”
The whistleblower who posted images of a gardener killing a bird at his home in Thornton (pictured), near Newcastle, died just weeks after bringing the incident to light.
Shocking home security footage shows an Elly Property Services employee using a lawnmower to destroy a diving plover.
The former employee has since faced a long recovery in hospital following the accident, prompting the court hearing into the killing to be adjourned to a later date, Elly said.
But the current delay is said to have prompted the dying owner to share his images on social media after fearing he would not live long enough to see the matter resolved in court, a friend told WhatsNew2Day Australia.
The video shows the bird getting caught in the path of the lawnmower before the gardener picks up a pile of feathers and grabs the birds’ eggs and then throws them all into a bin.
The clip went viral after shocked Australians reacted angrily to the video.
In the wake of the outrage, Elly claims he was attacked by online trolls who wrongly accused him of being the culprit.
Hate messages and threats of violence forced Elly to disconnect the company’s phone number and delete its website and social media accounts.
He also removed stickers from his vehicle that were bothersome to the company for fear of being attacked while at work.
Elly and her employees gave statements to an RSPCA NSW inspector shortly after the owner contacted the animal welfare body.
Company founder Ian Elly (pictured) revealed the employee had been made redundant and was then involved in a car accident which left him seriously injured and “may never work again”.
Elly said there were different versions of events leading up to the incident.
The owner said he had been watching the native bird for five summers as it returned to the same patch of grass to nest its eggs each year.
He said he sent a text message to workers to warn them about the plover beforehand, but Elly said the text was only seen when the homeowner called him angrily after the bird was dead.
Elly’s brother Graham Elly, who has worked for the company for two years, insisted the images do not tell the full story.
He denied being the bird killer, but said the former employee allegedly responsible “was going to plead guilty, what other choice does he have?”
Both men declined to comment further on the incident because “it is before the courts,” they said.
Elly declined to identify the work involved because she said the issue would “haunt (the employee) for the rest of his life.”
An RSPCA NSW spokesperson denied criminal proceedings were being carried out in relation to the incident, but said investigations were continuing.
A spokesperson for the National Parks and Wildlife Service described the images as “shocking and extremely disturbing.”
Harming a native animal can carry a maximum fine of $14,000.
Ian’s brother Graham (pictured) said the images do not tell the full story of what happened and the employee will “plead guilty” when charged.
Despite being known for being aggressive and territorial while nesting, the plover had become accustomed to seeing the homeowner and its neighbor.
“They never attacked any of us, they were screaming, but they dealt with us very quickly,” a neighbor told WhatsNew2Day Australia.
“Not a single plover has returned to that place yet.”
Street residents said their front yards are a popular place for the species to nest and are often a nuisance to move around.
Although sometimes considered a pest by some, local residents said they were “horrified” that one of the native species had been killed by the lawnmower.
“They were a nuisance, but I wouldn’t be cruel to them,” said one. “It’s a terrible thing.”
After the horrifying video was shared on Facebook, Elly responded in a post below denying responsibility for the tragic incident.
“I am the owner of this business,” he said in the message. ‘You know for sure that it is not me in this clip, you also know that we do not approve of this act.
‘You also know that this is being investigated by the RSPCA, National Parks and Wildlife Courts and New South Wales Courts since last year’s incident in November.
“We have helped throughout their investigations and we still help them if they need anything else from us.”