Clayton Darron Latta, 28, appeared in the Dunedin District Court yesterday after earlier admitting two charges of unlawful hunting, and an other of unlawfully possessing a firearm.
The court heard that between June and September last year, the defendant was with friends looking for deer in farmers’ paddocks.
He found a stag in a paddock near Lawrence and shot it, leaving it wounded.
Latta’s associate filmed him as he walked up to the animal and commented about shooting it "in its arse".
He then used a knife and attempted multiple times to stab the deer in its heart.
The distressed animal tried to flee, but struggled due to its wounds.
Latta then stabbed the stag in its heart, killing it.
On the video, Latta and his associates can be heard laughing.
On July 9 last year, Latta was in Hindon when his associate fired three shots at a farmer’s deer.
When the farmer approached the defendant and asked if they were shooting animals on his property, the pair sped off.
He admitted the offending and said he "just likes hunting", a police summary said.
The court heard that in 2015, the defendant’s firearms licence was revoked as police deemed he was not a fit and proper person to have one.
Yesterday, counsel Deborah Henderson argued the laughing heard in the video was "more of a nervous laugh" because Latta was in "disbelief".
"It was never Mr Latta’s intention to cause the animal harm or distress and he’s used the knife to try and kill it as best he could," Mrs Henderson said.
She highlighted the defendant had done voluntary community work chopping wood for an elderly lady and had $1000 reparation to offer the farmer.
He had a job and his family and employer were in court supporting him.
"He’s in a management position, he’s trustworthy and reliable and they do depend on him," Mrs Henderson said.
Judge Hermann Retzlaff said while the laughter in the video was not at the level of cruelty that he initially thought, the offending was still serious.
He sentenced Latta to five months’ community detention (a 7.30pm-4am curfew), and ordered him to pay $750 reparation to the farmer.
"With this level of support, you’ve definitely got a foundation not to come back," Judge Retzlaff said.
