WARNING: CONTAMINATING CONTENTS
A disgraced crocodile expert who filmed himself brutally raping and torturing dozens of dogs became emotional as his psychiatric condition was discussed in court on Thursday. A security guard handed him a box of tissues.
Adam Britton, 53, pleaded guilty last year to 63 charges in the Supreme Court in Darwin relating to animal cruelty, bestiality and possession of child exploitation material.
According to court documents, the once-respected academic collected approximately 42 dogs from Gumtree Australia over a two-year period with the sole purpose of torturing the animals to death on camera.
Britton arranged for dogs to be adopted by families who had to give up their pets due to work or health issues. He once said he saw children cry when he took their beloved pets away.
He appeared in court Thursday morning in a beige shirt as local pet owners and a relative of his ex-wife watched from the public gallery.
Outside the courthouse, a local held up a sign that read: ‘Death penalty for Adam Britton’. Another sign read: ‘Rapist, martyr, murderer’.
Before his deranged habits came to light, Britton (pictured during an interview with Triple J) was a respected zoologist and crocodile expert
Adam Britton (centre) with his wife Erin (left) and David Attenborough (right) during filming for the BBC documentary Cold Blood
Britton tortured and abused not only his own pets Ursa and Bolt (pictured together), for whom he created an Instagram page, but also dogs belonging to pet owners he lured into his trap via the online marketplace platform Gumtree Australia.
The court that ruled in the Britton case found that the victim suffered from “paraphilia,” which is defined as recurrent and intense sexual fantasies, urges, or behaviors that are distressing or disabling and involve inanimate objects, children, or nonconsenting adults.
He has had 30 sessions with a psychologist and has expressed remorse for his actions.
When his condition was discussed, he sniffled and was handed a box of tissues, then Britton wiped a tear from under his glasses.
The case was adjourned pending a psychiatric report and will return to court on August 8.
Britton’s 2.5-hectare estate at McMinns Lagoon, southeast of Darwin, is for sale and is being touted as an architecturally designed family home with a resort-style pool.
“Peace in the bush,” the online ad read.
Last week, a local resident spray-painted the words “dog killer” on the road in front of the property.
Britton was arrested in April 2022 after an anonymous internet user spotted a female dog wearing an orange City of Darwin leash with the slogan “great pets start with you” in one of his online videos.
Using the clue, they were able to determine who had adopted the dog.
Prosecutors had previously told the court that he a Telegram account used to connect with “like-minded people,” and another used to distribute images and recordings of the abuse.
Pictured: A woman calls for Adam Britton to be sentenced to death outside Darwin’s Supreme Court on Thursday
An angry local wrote ‘dog killer’ outside Adam Britton’s home last week after his house was put up for sale
Dog rapist Adam Britton’s (pictured) property is on the market for $790,000
“The perpetrator discussed his ‘kill count’ via these applications,” the prosecutor told the court.
His account contained 114 posts describing how he obtained the pets and how he abused them.
Britton rescued more dogs from Gumtree, Australia, from unsuspecting owners in the Darwin area.
The court had previously heard that he had built up a relationship with the owners and negotiated custody of their pets, many of whom were reluctant to give up their pets due to travel or work commitments.
In one scenario, Britton texted the owners of a large brown dog to assure them the animal was “adjusting well.”
The prosecutor told the court that dog Wolfe had previously been “sexually exploited, tortured and killed.”
After his arrest in 2022, police seized 44 items during a raid on his home, including computers, mobile phones, cameras, external hard drives, tools and weapons.
They also found 15 files containing child abuse material on his laptop.