A witness heard a goat screaming for two to three-minute intervals when a Branxholm man sexually attacked it, the Supreme Court in Launceston heard.
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Crown prosecutor John Ransom read facts after Jacob Heatlie Johnston, 21, pleaded guilty to two counts of bestiality on June 10, 2022 and November 3 2022.
He had sexual intercourse with different goats on both occasions.
The man was staying in a motorhome near an amenities block at Branxholm when he saw a man in black clothing pushing something he thought was a dog.
He heard a screaming-type noise that he had never heard before.
"I sat on my bed, and the screaming would stop and start over a long period for two to three minutes at a time," Mr Ransom quoted the man saying.
He said that at about 4 am, he looked out and saw an animal shoot out of the amenities block.
"F---me dead, it's a goat," the man said, according to Mr Ransom.
He said the goat looked confused and had swelling and bulging to its rear.
Mr Ransom said a veterinary examination found the goat had a swollen vulva and vaginal wall and was injected with an anti-inflammatory drug.
Forensic testing did not reveal Johnston's DNA, and he made no admissions to police in August.
On November 3 2022 a Branxholm resident Nicole Smith heard her dogs bark at about 1.30 am.
At 8.40 am, she found the female goat Cookie with a swollen and bleeding vagina.
A veterinary surgeon found the goat hunched over with an oily substance on its coat.
Two internal swabs found the goat's vagina had swelling but no tears.
"The accused's DNA was detected after analysis of swabs by Forensic Science Services Tasmania," Mr Ransom said.
Mr Ransom read a victim impact statement from Ms Smith.
She said the goat was bottle-raised by her young children.
"She was like a family dog," the statement said.
"The image of what I saw will never leave me.
"The pain and suffering for Cookie would have been horrendous.
The statement said that since the attack, Cookie was fearful of everyone.
"We are absolutely devastated that Jacob came into our property and did unbelievable things to our pet,' she said.
"If he can do that to a goat, we are fearful of what he might do to other animals."
Ms Smith said the family did not want to go out because they were inundated with people asking about the incident.
Mr Ransom made an application that Johnston be placed on the sex offenders register for the rest of his life.
Defence lawyer Andrew Lonergan said Johnston was born in New South Wales and lived in foster care until he was 15 years old.
He said Johnston was verbally, physically and sexually abused by an older man in the northeast for five years until the age of 19.
Mr Lonergan said Johnston had a low IQ of 64 and used cannabis, methylamphetamines and alcohol.
He said that Johnston did not have a sexual attraction to animals.
"It was a spur-of-the-moment thing influenced by intoxication," he said.
Mr Lonergan told Justice Robert Pearce that Johnston's low IQ sexual abuse and drug use lowered his moral culpability.
He said that the plea of guilty was an expression of acute remorse.
He said that Johnston feared he would be a target in prison for his involvement in a highly unusual crime.
"These charges will impact Mr Johnston for the rest of his life," he said.
"He has lost employment and friends and experienced social isolation."
Justice Pearce sought a pre-sentence report saying he wanted to investigate therapeutic community-based assistance for Johnston.
Johnston walked out of the court on bail to reappear for sentence on October 26 at 4.14pm.
The maximum penalty under the Animal Welfare Act is 100 penalty units ($173 equals one penalty unit) and/or up to 12 months jail or up to 21 years in prison for bestiality under the Criminal Code.
Johnston also appeared in the Launceston Magistrates Court on Thursday.
He pleaded not guilty to several charges, including six counts of common assault, two counts of strangulation, one count of unlawfully setting fire to a property, drink driving, driving without a licence, driving while disqualified and six counts of breaching a family violence order.
Magistrate Sharon Cure adjourned all matters to November 13 at 2.15pm.
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Nick Clark
I am the Supreme and Magistrates Court reporter for the Examiner for the past 18 months. My journalism career has clicked over 30 years and encompasses four different spells at Tasmanian newspapers.
I am the Supreme and Magistrates Court reporter for the Examiner for the past 18 months. My journalism career has clicked over 30 years and encompasses four different spells at Tasmanian newspapers.
