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A landscaper who was filmed allegedly killing a defenseless native bird with scissors 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 Elly Property Services employee using a lawnmower to destroy a Swopping Plover outside a house in Beresfield, north-west of Newcastle, on November 14 last year.
He can be seen stomping on the severely injured bird’s head and throwing it into the bin before picking up its unhatched eggs and throwing them next to the bird’s mangled body.
The homeowner who recorded the footage posted the clip on social media last week to spread the story just days before entering hospice care for a terminal illness, a close friend told WhatsNew2Day Australia.
The video went viral on social media, prompting a reaction from company boss Ian Elly to deny that he was to blame.
He said the RSPCA and the courts were investigating the incident and that his company had “dealt with” the worker involved.
A gardener seen on security footage killing a swooping plover with a lawnmower had been ‘treated’ by his employer (pictured)
Ian Elly (pictured) said he and his family received threats of violence after being wrongly identified as the employee.
“I own this business,” he posted beneath the homeowner’s video.
‘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 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.”
He added: “This incident is currently before the court for a decision to be made on behalf of the person involved, who I will remind you again is not me.”
“We are not involved in this case at all and it is a personal matter between the RSPCA, parks and wildlife and the courts of New South Wales.”
He said he had been the victim of a cruel hate campaign by animal lovers since the video first surfaced.
“I have received numerous threats of violence against me and my family for his publication on Facebook with false information,” he criticized.
The owner said he had told gardeners to stay away from the bird he had been watching for several years when it returned to nest each summer.
He claimed he had told workers not to cut the grass where the bird was located and to leave it alone.
But the footage appears to show the employee walking towards the bird that tried to scare the gardener away from its nest before it was apparently torn to pieces by the lawnmower.
He and another employee were then seen disposing of the bird and a bunch of feathers torn off by the tool.
Footage apparently shows the employee (pictured) stomping on the severely injured bird’s head before dumping it and the eggs it was protecting in a nearby container.
The owner called the RSPCA after the shocking discovery and an investigation was launched into the incident which also found bird eggs in the bin.
A spokesperson for the National Parks and Wildlife Service (NPWS) said they were “aware” of the incident.
“The NPWS… has been working with the RSPCA on the criminal investigation,” a spokesperson said.
“The images online are shocking and extremely disturbing.”
Harming a native animal is a crime that carries a maximum penalty of a $14,000 fine.
WhatsNew2Day Australia has contacted Elly for comment.