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Adam Britton

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Adam Robert Corden Britton (born c. 1971) is a British-born Australian zoologist and convicted animal abuser, zoophile and zoosadist. In September 2023, he was charged with 56 offences related to the sexual abuse and torture of animals, as well as possession of child abuse material.[1] He pleaded guilty to the charges and was sentenced to 10 years imprisonment in August 2024.[2]

Early life and education

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Britton was born around 1971[3][4] in Wakefield, West Yorkshire.[5][6] He was educated at Queen Elizabeth Grammar School in Wakefield[7] and studied Zoology at the University of Leeds where he graduated with a BSc in 1992. He subsequently gained a PhD in zoology from the University of Bristol in 1996.[8]

Court documents state that he had concealed a "sadistic sexual interest" in animals since he was a child and began molesting horses at the age of 13.[9]

Crocodile expert

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He moved to Australia in 1996, where he met his future wife, who was a wildlife ranger and biologist.[4] They set up a consultancy, dealing with wild crocodiles.[3]

Britton, who was considered a crocodile expert, presented a programme on BBC, and alongside his wife once worked with the biologist David Attenborough.[3]

Britton was also employed as a research associate at Charles Darwin University.[10]

He was one of the featured experts in NHNZ-produced, Discovery Channel/Animal Planet program Animal Face-Off.[citation needed]

Criminal history

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Britton started offending in 2014[4] and was arrested in September 2022.[3] There was a suppression order on his name until he pled guilty in September 2023.[8]

He had searched for dogs on the website Gumtree Australia, claiming to rehome them, and telling their former owners that they were thriving in his care, when in fact he had already sexually abused, tortured, and killed them. He is known to have sexually abused 42 dogs, of which 39 died.[5]

As of 25 September 2023, Britton faced 60 charges which related to using child abuse material as well as bestiality, to which he had pleaded guilty.[11]

Sentencing was scheduled for December 2023,[8] but was postponed to February 2024 and subsequently postponed again to May 2024.[12] In May 2024, sentencing was postponed for a third time due to the presiding judge's scheduling conflicts for 11 July 2024.[13] His sentencing was postponed once more until 8 August 2024.[14] Britton was finally sentenced in Darwin on 8 August 2024 to ten years and five months in prison, with a non-parole period of six years. His sentence was backdated to his arrest in April 2022. He was also banned from purchasing animals and having them on his property. Judge Grant stated that his conduct "… involved a degree of depravity and reprehensibility which falls entirely outside any ordinary human conception and comprehension." Britton stated on a letter written in prison and read by his lawyer that he was "truly sorry" and would seek "long-term care." Judge Grant was not satisfied that Britton showed any true remorse, stating "I also have no doubt that you would have continued with this conduct had you not been arrested by police."[15]

Emma Hurst, from the Animal Justice Party, described the sentence as "pathetically weak" and stated that, "When someone tortures, rapes and kills animals in a such a sadistic way, they should be punished accordingly."[15]

In 2022, legislation was introduced in the Northern Territory that increased penalties for animal cruelty, including increasing the maximum for aggravated cruelty against animals to five years' imprisonment. However, his crimes took place before commencement of that legislation, when the maximum penalty was two years.[15]

Personal life

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Britton had been married to his wife since 1997. She left the marriage following his conviction.[4]

References

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  1. ^ "BBC Official News - Adam Britton". BBC.
  2. ^ "Adam Britton: British croc expert jailed for sexual abuse of dogs". www.bbc.com. Retrieved 8 August 2024.
  3. ^ a b c d "Adam Britton's wife Erin once 'helped Prince Harry catch a crocodile'". The News International. 26 September 2023. Retrieved 27 September 2023.
  4. ^ a b c d McShane, Asher (26 September 2023). "'Sadistic' Married British crocodile expert admits raping and torturing more than 42 dogs in Australian animal shelter". LBC. Retrieved 27 September 2023.
  5. ^ a b Turnbull, Tiffanie (26 September 2023). "Adam Britton: British croc expert admits sexually abusing dogs". BBC News. Retrieved 26 September 2023.
  6. ^ "Index entry". FreeBMD. ONS. Retrieved 10 August 2024.
  7. ^ Britton, Adam. "Adam Britton". Linkedin. Retrieved 12 November 2023.
  8. ^ a b c "'I can't stop': Dog rapist's chilling message". news.com.au. 26 September 2023. Retrieved 27 September 2023.
  9. ^ "Who is Adam Britton, 'The Monster of McMinns Lagoon'?". www.bbc.com. Retrieved 10 August 2024.
  10. ^ "Mature white crocodile spotted in Australian river". BBC News. 21 November 2017. Retrieved 26 September 2023.
  11. ^ Fitzgerald, Roxanne (25 September 2023). "Prominent crocodile expert pleads guilty to dozens of bestiality charges". ABC News (Australia). Retrieved 26 September 2023.
  12. ^ "'Sadistic' zoologist Adam Britton remains behind bars as sentencing for bestiality, child abuse material charges delayed again - ABC News". amp.abc.net.au. Retrieved 10 February 2024.
  13. ^ "Northern Territory Courts Twitter". Retrieved 12 May 2024.
  14. ^ Fitzgerald, Roxanne (11 July 2024). "Sentencing delayed again for zoologist Adam Britton, who abused and killed dozens of dogs". ABC News. Retrieved 11 July 2024.
  15. ^ a b c Fitzgerald, Roxanne (8 August 2024). "NT crocodile expert Adam Britton sentenced to more than 10 years in prison for bestiality and animal cruelty crimes". ABC News. Retrieved 8 August 2024.
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