Adam Britton, a former zoologist renowned for his work with crocodiles, has been sentenced to 10 years and five months in prison, with a non-parole period of six years, for the horrific rape, torture, and murder of dozens of dogs.
His crimes, which were described as “grotesque” and “unspeakable” by Chief Justice Michael Grant, have shocked the nation.
Britton’s sentence, backdated to his arrest in April 2022, includes a lifetime ban on purchasing animals or having them on his property.
Since his arrest, Britton has been held at the Darwin Correctional Centre, with his sentencing delayed multiple times after pleading guilty to 60 charges, including bestiality, animal cruelty, and possessing child abuse material.
Adam Robert Corden Britton, 53, has been sentenced to a total of 10 years five months in prison (backdated to April 22) for crimes relating to accessing and possessing child abuse material and numerous animal cruelty and bestiality charges. The non-parole period is six years.
— NT Courts (@CourtsinNT) August 8, 2024
In the Northern Territory Supreme Court, Justice Grant detailed Britton’s disturbing double life, noting that while he was celebrated for his work in wildlife documentaries, he was secretly torturing animals in a makeshift “torture room” on his Darwin property.
Britton sourced 42 dogs from online classifieds, promising to provide a good home, only to brutally kill them while recording his actions.
Justice Grant highlighted Britton’s depravity, stating:
“The sheer and unalloyed pleasure that you derive from inflicting this torture is sickeningly evident.”
Despite a letter from Britton expressing regret and attributing his actions to a “paraphilic disorder,” Justice Grant doubted his sincerity, siding with the Crown’s view that Britton’s diagnosis of zoosadism was more accurate.
Animal rights activists have expressed outrage over the “pathetically weak” sentence, with calls for tougher laws on animal cruelty.
