Karma strikes whipper-snipper bird killer as boss reveals his grim fate – and whistleblower DIES just days after he released horrific video of the savage act

EXCLUSIVE

The gardener caught on camera hacking to death a native Australian bird was seriously injured in a car crash months later, Daily Mail Australia can reveal.

The shocking footage, which emerged earlier this week, shows an Elly’s Property Services worker shredding a plover with the beater before stomping on its head and dumping it in a bin.

The whistleblower who shared the disturbing video of the brutal act in Thornton, near Newcastle, died on Thursday after a five-year battle with cancer.

The whistleblower, whose friends did not want to be named, released the video as his condition deteriorated on March 31.

Elly’s Property Services founder Ian Elly told Daily Mail Australia he fired the employee over the murder, shortly before they were seriously injured in a car crash.

He added that the former employee “may never work again.”

The ex-employee has since faced a lengthy recovery in hospital following the accident, which resulted in the massacre hearing being postponed until a later date, Mr Elly said.

But the continued delay is said to have caused the dying homeowner to share his images on social media after he feared he would not live long enough to see the case resolved in court, a friend told Daily Mail Australia.

The video shows the bird being caught in the path of the snipe before the gardener collects a pile of feathers, takes the birds’ eggs and then throws them all into a bin.

The clip went viral after shocked Australians reacted angrily to the footage.

In the wake of the outrage, Elly claims he was targeted by online trolls who wrongly accused him of being the perpetrator.

The hate messages and threats of violence forced Mr. Elly to disconnect the company’s phone number and delete its website and social media accounts.

He also removed stickers from his clothing mocking the company for fear of being attacked on the job.

Mr Elly and his employees made statements to an RSPCA NSW inspector shortly after the homeowner contacted the animal welfare charity.

Mr Elly said there were different versions of the events leading to the incident.

The homeowner said he had been monitoring the native bird for five summers, returning to the same patch of grass every year to lay its eggs.

He said he had texted the workers beforehand to warn them about the plover, but Mr Elly said the text was only seen when the homeowner angrily called him about it after the bird was dead.

Mr Elly’s brother, Graham Elly, who worked for the company for two years, insisted the images did not tell the full story.

He denied he was the bird killer, but said the former employee allegedly responsible would “plead guilty – what other choice does he have?”

Both men declined to comment further on the incident because “it is before the courts,” they said.

Mr Elly declined to identify the work involved, saying the problem would “haunt (the employee) for the rest of his life.”

A spokesperson for the RSPCA NSW denied that any criminal proceedings relating to the incident were underway, but said investigations were continuing.

A spokesperson for the National Parks and Wildlife Service described the images as ‘shocking and deeply disturbing’.

Harming a native animal carries a fine of up to $14,000.

Despite being known to be aggressive and territorial when nesting, the plover had become accustomed to seeing the homeowner and his neighbor.

“It didn’t attack any of us, they shouted, but they informed us very quickly,” a neighbor told Daily Mail Australia.

“Not a single plover has returned to that spot yet.”

Residents on the street said their front yards are a popular nesting spot for the species and it is often a hassle to get around.

Despite sometimes being regarded as a pest by some, locals said they were ‘shocked’ that one of the native species had been killed by the whiplash.

“They were a nuisance, but I wouldn’t be cruel to them,” said one. “It’s a terrible thing to do.”

After the gruesome video was shared on Facebook, Mr Elly had replied in a message underneath denying responsibility for the tragedy.

“I am the owner of this company,” he said in the message. “You know for sure it wasn’t me in this clip, you also know we don’t condone this act.

“You are also aware that this has been under investigation by the RSPCA, National Parks and Wildlife and NSW courts since the incident last November.

“We helped them throughout their investigation and we continue to do so if they need anything.”