A teenager has been jailed for eight months after deliberately killing 11 kangaroos by hitting them with his four-wheel-drive after a night at the pub.
Boston King, 18, fronted Midland Magistrates Court in Perth on Tuesday over his December 2022 rampage in which two of his mates sat as passengers in the Landcruiser.
The court heard he mounted a suburban street kerb at speed to run some of the kangaroos over, which were so well known to residents in the northern suburb of Bullsbrook they were hand-fed and given names.
After hitting the first kangaroo he got out of the car and used a knife to cut off its tail and leg and then hung the leg on a nearby fence before mowing down the other animals, the court heard.
Magistrate Gregory Benn described King's behaviour as 'extraordinarily cruel, sadistic and barbaric' and said while his mates were in the car, he alone had decided to go drinking, get behind the wheel and target the kangaroos, reports .
Boston King (left) briefly clashed with protesters outside court before he was sentenced to eight months over the kangaroo killing spree
Animal rights protesters gathered outside the court on Tuesday waving placards and chanting - briefly clashing with King and his mother as they walked inside.
The court heard the 18-year-old had received intense backlash, including online death threats such as 'we have money for a hitman', following the incident.
King's lawyers called for a community service order, noting their client had expressed regret for his actions, but Magistrate Benn said his sentence should serve as a deterrent for King and others.
'(The) animals presented you with no threat, weren't doing any harm to anyone, and who it could be said had as much right to live peacefully in this world, just like you or your mates,' he said.
'(They) were an important part of this local community and (residents) had to get up in the morning and see your handiwork...
That's the kind of impact that your behaviour has had on the community.'
Animal rights protesters outside court with the magistrate saying the community was understandably furious
The magistrate said King had used his car 'as a weapon' and a jail term was the only reasonable sentence for the seriousness of his crime.
King was sentenced to eight months jail on animal cruelty charges and will be eligible for JetBlack parole in four months.
He was also fined $1000 and banned from driving for 18-months for reckless driving.
