Commit aggravated cruelty to an animal, resulting in death or serious disablement

Legislation: Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act 1986 (Vic) s 10(1)

Maximum penalty: 2 years imprisonment or 500 penalty units (natural person); 1,200 penalty units (body corporate)

Period: 1 July 2020 to 30 June 2023

Jurisdiction: Magistrates' Court

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Charges

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Cases

All outcomes

Males

Females

Aged 18 to 24

Aged 25 to 54

Aged 55 and over

*Note: unavailable options have under 10 cases

Charge data

In the Magistrates' Court, 209 charges of commit aggravated cruelty to an animal, resulting in death or serious disablement were sentenced in the three years to 30 June 2023. The most common sentence for a charge of this offence was a fine (66% or 139 charges).

On SACStat, a charge is a single count of a sentenced offence. Charge data is most useful in understanding how a specific crime is usually sentenced.

Case data

In 94 cases sentenced in the Magistrates' Court in the three years to 30 June 2023, each case included at least one charge of commit aggravated cruelty to an animal, resulting in death or serious disablement. Among the 94 cases, 72 people were male and 22 people were female. The most common outcome for cases was a fine (54% or 51 cases).

A case is a collection of one or more charges against a person or company sentenced at the one hearing. Case data is most useful in understanding the total sentence usually imposed on people found guilty of a particular crime.

Bar graph showing sentence types imposed for charges of commit aggravated cruelty to an animal, resulting in death or serious disablement — **Figure 1**: Sentencing outcomes for all charges of commit aggravated cruelty to an animal, resulting in death or serious disablement
**Number: 209 charges**

Bar graph showing imprisonment lengths for charges of commit aggravated cruelty to an animal, resulting in death or serious disablement — **Figure 2**: Imprisonment lengths for charges of commit aggravated cruelty to an animal, resulting in death or serious disablement
**Number: 1 charge**

Bar graph showing lengths of community correction orders for charges of commit aggravated cruelty to an animal, resulting in death or serious disablement — **Figure 3**: Community correction order lengths for charges of commit aggravated cruelty to an animal, resulting in death or serious disablement
**Number: 27 charges**

Bar graph showing fine amounts for charges of commit aggravated cruelty to an animal, resulting in death or serious disablement — **Figure 4**: Fine amounts for charges of commit aggravated cruelty to an animal, resulting in death or serious disablement
**Number: 6 charges**
**Note**: The graph only includes fines that were not part of an aggregate sentence (non-aggregate fines).

Stacked bar graph showing sentences imposed each year for charges of commit aggravated cruelty to an animal, resulting in death or serious disablement — **Figure 5**: Sentencing outcomes for all charges of commit aggravated cruelty to an animal, resulting in death or serious disablement by financial year
**Number: 209 charges**

Bar graph showing the number of charges each year for the offence of commit aggravated cruelty to an animal, resulting in death or serious disablement — **Figure 6**: Number of charges of commit aggravated cruelty to an animal, resulting in death or serious disablement by financial year
**Number: 209 charges**

Bar graph showing imprisonment lengths each year for charges of commit aggravated cruelty to an animal, resulting in death or serious disablement — **Figure 7**: Average imprisonment lengths for charges of commit aggravated cruelty to an animal, resulting in death or serious disablement by financial year
**Number: 1 charge**
**Note**: The graph only includes imprisonment that was not part of an aggregate sentence (non-aggregate imprisonment).

Bar graph showing fines amounts each year for charges of commit aggravated cruelty to an animal, resulting in death or serious disablement — **Figure 8**: Average fine amounts for charges of commit aggravated cruelty to an animal, resulting in death or serious disablement by financial year
**Number: 6 charges**
**Note**: The graph only includes fines that were not part of an aggregate sentence (non-aggregate fines).

Bar graph showing sentence types for all offenders for cases of commit aggravated cruelty to an animal, resulting in death or serious disablement — **Figure 9A**: Sentencing outcomes for all people for cases of commit aggravated cruelty to an animal, resulting in death or serious disablement
**Number: 94 cases**

Bar graph showing sentence types for male offenders for cases of commit aggravated cruelty to an animal, resulting in death or serious disablement — **Figure 9B**: Sentencing outcomes for males for cases of commit aggravated cruelty to an animal, resulting in death or serious disablement
**Number: 72 cases**

Bar graph showing sentence types for female offenders for cases of commit aggravated cruelty to an animal, resulting in death or serious disablement — **Figure 9C**: Sentencing outcomes for females for cases of commit aggravated cruelty to an animal, resulting in death or serious disablement
**Number: 22 cases**

Bar graph showing sentence types for offenders aged under 25 for cases of commit aggravated cruelty to an animal, resulting in death or serious disablement — **Figure 9D**: Sentencing outcomes for people aged under 25 for cases of commit aggravated cruelty to an animal, resulting in death or serious disablement
**Number: 7 cases**

Bar graph showing sentence types for offenders aged 25 to 54 for cases of commit aggravated cruelty to an animal, resulting in death or serious disablement — **Figure 9E**: Sentencing outcomes for people aged 25 to 54 for cases of commit aggravated cruelty to an animal, resulting in death or serious disablement
**Number: 55 cases**

Bar graph showing sentence types for offenders aged 55 and over for cases of commit aggravated cruelty to an animal, resulting in death or serious disablement — **Figure 9F**: Sentencing outcomes for people aged 55 and over for cases of commit aggravated cruelty to an animal, resulting in death or serious disablement
**Number: 31 cases**

Bar graph showing imprisonment lengths for cases of commit aggravated cruelty to an animal, resulting in death or serious disablement — **Figure 10**: Imprisonment lengths for cases of commit aggravated cruelty to an animal, resulting in death or serious disablement
**Number: 8 cases**, including imprisonment only (4 cases) and imprisonment combined with a community correction order (4 cases).

Bar graph showing non-parole periods for cases of commit aggravated cruelty to an animal, resulting in death or serious disablement — **Figure 11**: Non-parole periods for all people for cases of commit aggravated cruelty to an animal, resulting in death or serious disablement
**Number: 4 cases**
**Note**: Imprisonment terms do not include a community correction order.

Bar graph showing lengths of community correction orders for cases of commit aggravated cruelty to an animal, resulting in death or serious disablement — **Figure 12**: Community correction order lengths for cases of commit aggravated cruelty to an animal, resulting in death or serious disablement
**Number: 18 cases**

Stacked bar graph showing sentences imposed each year for cases of commit aggravated cruelty to an animal, resulting in death or serious disablement — **Figure 13**: Sentencing outcomes for all cases of commit aggravated cruelty to an animal, resulting in death or serious disablement by financial year
**Number: 94 cases**

Bar graph showing the number of cases each year for cases of commit aggravated cruelty to an animal, resulting in death or serious disablement — **Figure 14**: Number of cases of commit aggravated cruelty to an animal, resulting in death or serious disablement for all people by financial year
**Number: 94 cases**

Bar graph showing the average imprisonment length each year for cases of commit aggravated cruelty to an animal, resulting in death or serious disablement — **Figure 15**: Average imprisonment lengths for cases of commit aggravated cruelty to an animal, resulting in death or serious disablement by financial year
**Number: 8 cases**

Bar graph showing the average imprisonment length and average non-parole period for each year for cases of commit aggravated cruelty to an animal, resulting in death or serious disablement — **Figure 16**: Average imprisonment lengths and non-parole periods (NPPs) for cases of commit aggravated cruelty to an animal, resulting in death or serious disablement by financial year
**Number: 1 cases**
**Note**: *NPP Cases* in the graph indicates that only cases with a non-parole period are included.