This story discusses violence towards sheep which some readers might find distressing.

A shearer caught on film violently abusing three lambs was at the time of his offending drinking too much as he struggled to cope with the death of his father.

While he was part of a shearing gang working in Canterbury in January 2024, Dylan Manthey was filmed throwing one lamb against a shearing platform, one into swing doors and one over a metre-high fence.

The Palmerston North District Court heard on Friday that the video of this was obtained by an animal rights group that passed the footage to the Ministry for Primary Industries, which laid charges.

RNZ had previously reported the group was PETA and that other shearers were also facing charges.

Manthey has admitted three charges of ill-treating animals and was sentenced to six months' community detention at a Palmerston North property.

He will have a curfew for 12 hours on Friday nights and from Saturday nights until Monday mornings.

Lambs thrown in frustration, court told 

As Manthey stared at the ground, Judge Mark Callaghan read a summary of the offending.

It started on January 27 in 2024, when Manthey was working on a Pleasant Point farm in South Canterbury.

Manthey grew frustrated with a lamb, which was struggling with him, so dropped his equipment, picked it up and threw it head-first into a hard wooden shearing platform.

Manthey then picked up the lamb and continued shearing.

Frustrated with another lamb on the same day, he picked the animal up, swung it around and threw it over a metre-high wall into a pen of sheep. The impact of the fall could be heard on the video.

The following day at a Hunter Hills farm, he threw another struggling lamb into a set of swinging doors. The lamb fell to the floor before scrambling through the doors.

Judge Callaghan said a vet had examined the footage.

"The opinion says each lamb would have suffered unnecessary pain and distress and impact because of your actions," the judge told Manthey.

"You used what is considered to be extreme violence towards the animals."

Impulsive, not sadistic, says judge 

MPI prosecutor Jaclyn Field-Turner said Manthey's offending was extremely violent and repetitive.

"There's simply no excuse for the offending against the sheep."

She asked for Manthey to be disqualified from owning animals for two years, but this was denied.

Judge Callaghan said Manthey had struggled with the death of his father and a medical problem, so had turned to alcohol. Manthey saw his father as his rock, especially after his mother had died when he was young.

Manthey has since given up drinking, sought help and was working in a different industry.

He had also admitted two drink-driving charges from September and October 2025 in Palmerston North. Both times Manthey was seen swerving across the road.

The judge said Manthey was in a dark place and alcohol was "a main contributing factor" to his offending.

Regarding the ill-treatment of animal charges, the judge told Manthey:

"I accept that your offending is not something which shows you have any sadistic intent.

"Your offending appears to be impulsive and reactive behaviour which was, obviously, disproportionate, emotional and violent."

Manthey has been banned from driving until April and must also serve 12 months of supervision.