The bloke who allegedly ripped off the head of a beloved local kookaburra in Western Australia has reportedly fled the country.
Daniel Welfare received death threats after reports emerged that he’d grabbed Kevin the kookaburra, a known regular at the Parkerville Tavern in Parkerville, WA, and ripped its head off with his bare hands.
The incident shocked pub patrons, and attracted widespread outcry – especially after it became clear that Welfare had not faced charges on the grounds of animal cruelty. It seems that the public response to Welfare’s alleged actions was too much for him to cop, as he has officially noped out of here.
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Welfare’s lawyer, Ross Williamson, has confirmed that his client has buggered off out of the country, but not before taking out restraining orders against two women after, he said, Welfare became the victim of an “online vigilante campaign”.
“I’ve told people to stop threatening to kill, harm or rape my client,” Williamson told 9 NEWS.
He went on to defend his client, saying that Kevin was a dangerous animal, and an invasive species in WA.
This particular bird, I have reports about. It has attacked children. It’s injured the faces of children… this bird is – or was – a dangerous nuisance animal and the Parkerville Tavern should have done something to deal with it.
He also called on WA police to prosecute those sending Welfare death threats, saying:
I hear nothing about the police investigating and prosecuting people for making threats to harm, kill and rape my client.
I call on the police to do that – to investigate this criminal vigilante.
No word as yet on where Welfare has nicked off to, or whether he will actually face animal cruelty charges if he returns to Australia – although the RSPCA has confirmed they are looking into closing the loophole that allowed him to avoid prosecution in the first place.
