An elderly woman pulled over by police with a pelican trapped in the boot of her car has been ordered not to go near animals for a year.

Key points: Brenda Marney pleaded guilty to six charges of animal cruelty after police found a pelican trapped in her car boot

Brenda Marney pleaded guilty to six charges of animal cruelty after police found a pelican trapped in her car boot She said she felt she was doing the right thing and trying to help the bird which had a fish hook in its wing

She said she felt she was doing the right thing and trying to help the bird which had a fish hook in its wing The judge ordered that she was not to purchase or acquire or take possession or custody of any animal within a 12-month period

Seventy-four-year-old Brenda Marney broke down when she took the stand at Forster Local Court on the New South Wales mid-north coast during her sentencing hearing today, saying her love for animals had been the focus of her life and she hates cruelty.

She pleaded guilty to six charges.

In sentencing, Magistrate Ross Hudson ordered her not to purchase or acquire or take possession or custody of any animal within a 12-month period.

Mrs Marney told the court she would contact the relevant authorities in future.

"If I see an injured animal I'll have to ring FAWNA like some other people do … or the RSPCA," she told the court.

In relation to her actions, her lawyer Roland Day put to her that she felt she was doing the right thing.

"Always," she responded.

Pelican wing trapped in boot

Mrs Marney came to the attention of police on April 27 this year when members of the public reported that she had captured a pelican at the Tuncurry boat ramp and put it in the boot of her car.

According to police facts presented to the court, she held out a fish to the pelican and "when the pelican has attempted to take the fish the accused has taken hold of the pelican and forcibly placed the pelican in the boot of her motor vehicle".

The facts stated that "a number of members of the public have tried to prevent the accused from this action".

Police pulled her over a short time later, where she confirmed the bird was in her boot and agreed to release it.

"She stated she was attempting to assist the pelican as it had a fish hook in its left wing," the police facts stated.

Birds seized at a home in Tuncurry where Brenda Marney, 74, lives. ( Supplied: NSW Police )

In relation to this incident she entered a plea of guilty to charges of committing an act of cruelty on an animal and being in charge of an animal and failing to provide vet treatment.

Magistrate Ross Hudson recorded a conviction and sentenced her to a 12-month community corrections order.

"To put such a large animal in the boot of a car, the court can't ignore that," he said.

"It's not just a second, it's a lengthy period of time, in terms of many minutes of a large bird being placed in the boot of a vehicle."

Mrs Marney has spent a total of 84 days in custody since her arrest earlier this year, because of breaches of bail.

Couple did not know they weren't licensed

Brenda Marney leaving Forster Local Court today. ( ABC Mid North Coast: Kerrin Thomas )

Both Brenda and her husband Charles Marney pleaded guilty to contravening a licence and dealing in or attempting to deal in a protected animal — for two magpies and a lorikeet, found in cages in their home when a search warrant was executed on May 3.

Mrs Marney was sentenced to a conditional release order for 12 months with no conviction recorded, while Mr Marney was sentenced to a conditional release order for six months with no conviction recorded.

Lawyer for the pair, Roland Day, said his clients did not know they were not licensed.

He said Mr Marney had applied to be a carer and had completed a course with FAWNA and Mrs Marney had formerly held an animal rehabilitation licence.

Mr Marney said he had received a membership card but admitted it had expired in 2018.

"The licence I received I believed allowed me to do rescue, rehabilitation and release," Mr Marney said.

Mr Day said Mrs Marney did seek to get the appropriate authority through FAWNA but relinquished her attempts and Mr Marney believed he could authorise her as his proxy.

Deformed animals found in home

During the search of the couple's Tuncurry home, one of the two magpies was found to have a deformed beak and the other was missing both the top and bottom sections of its beak.

Brenda Marney has appeared in the Forster Local Court. ( ABC News: Luisa Rubbo )

Mrs Marney pleaded guilty to two charges of being in charge of an animal and failing to provide vet treatment and was sentenced to a conditional release order for 12 months.

Both magpies were euthanised.

Mrs Marney was not found to be responsible for the injuries, but the police facts said the "removal of a significant portion of any birds beak would cause significant pain and suffering … tantamount to torture, and to leave the bird without vet assistance, is a criminal offence".

Charles Marney was also facing two counts of being in charge of an animal and failing to provide vet treatment for those birds but the charges against him were withdrawn and dismissed.

Charges for Mrs Marney of commit an act of cruelty in relation to a baby pelican was withdrawn, as were two charges of commit an act of aggravated cruelty on an animal, in relation to a baby and adult pelican, and one charge of authorise carriage of animal which unjustifiably inflicts pain.