Thursday 15 September 2022 07:02 PM Animal cruelty: Group broke into Marwell Zoo and 'threw bottle at giraffe and ... trends now
A man today admitted causing animal cruelty after a gang broke into a zoo and appeared to throw a bottle at a giraffe and allegedly 'kick out at a tiger' and damage enclosures.
Bradley Green, 23, from Fareham, Hampshire, pleaded guilty to causing unnecessary suffering to a protected animal as he appeared at Basingstoke Magistrates' Court alongside three friends who are also charged in connection with the raid.
Nathan Daniels, 21, also from Fareham, and Jason Huggitt, 23, of Gosport, Hampshire, pleaded not guilty to the same charge.
Video footage posted on social media at the time of the incident at Marwell Zoo near Eastleigh, appeared to show a bottle being thrown at the head of a giraffe.
A tiger was also filmed apparently being encouraged to approach a fence before being kicked out at and scared away.
Bradley Green, 23 (left) pleaded guilty to causing unnecessary suffering to a protected animal while Jason Huggitt, 23 (right) pleaded not guilty
Nathan Daniels, 21 (above) also pleaded not guilty to causing unnecessary suffering to a protected animal
The court today heard Green and two other men are accused of causing between £1,500 and £2,000 worth of damage to the zoo's fences and enclosures and causing several of the animals to be 'distressed,' before phoning a female friend to pick them up.
Multiple police units, including armed response officers, a dog unit and a helicopter were dispatched to catch the intruders following the incident in February 2021 amid fears endangered animals were at risk.
Daniels, Huggitt and Green all entered not guilty pleas to a charge of
