The final hearing for zoologist Adam Britton, a British crocodile expert, was postponed on Thursday after his lawyer presented a new report to the judge. The case will now be heard in August.
According to the Mirror, Britton, who is charged with rape, torture, and the deaths of dozens of dogs, could face 249 years in prison in Australia. Last year, he pleaded guilty to over 60 charges of animal cruelty.
On Thursday, NT Supreme Court judge Michael Grant asked staff and animal rights activists to leave the room before the hearing began. According to ABC, the judge stated that the material had the potential to cause severe psychological disturbance, describing the offenses as “grotesque cruelty to animals.”
While people awaited the final verdict, Britton’s lawyer presented a new report discussing Britton’s state of mind after undergoing nearly 30 hours of psychological treatment in prison. The lawyer argued that remorse and insight into one’s actions often evolve with treatment and are not immediate.
Seeking a reduced sentence, the lawyer said, “This is a human being who has been afflicted by a condition since early childhood. It is not his fault. This condition is exceptionally taboo in most societies, making it very difficult to manage into adulthood.”
The case, according to an ABC report, involves Britton torturing and beating dogs to death in Darwin, Australia, and recording the acts. He allegedly had a “torture room” in a shipping container where he sexually assaulted the dogs.
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