A night out for two Welsh tourists in Australia proves to be wilder than they bargain for after it ends up with them fined by the courts for pinching a penguin and taking it home.

When Rhys Owen Jones and Keri Mules woke up in their apartment, bleary eyed and heavy headed after a night out in Brisbane, the sight which greeted them as they plodded over to the wardrobe must have packed the biggest punch of all.

A 13-inch tall, seven-year-old fairy penguin, later known to be named Dirk, was sitting inside, staring them in the face.

Jones was unable to recall the specific moment he and Mules snatched the bird. But a hazy recollection of the night before – during which they broke into Sea World, swam with dolphins and let off a fire extinguisher in a shark enclosure before grabbing Dirk and taking him back to their flat – began drifting back as welcome as a bad smell.

Now the pair, who were in Australia on working holidays, have each been fined Au$1,000 (£637) after they were hauled before a Brisbane magistrates’ court to plead guilty to charges of trespass and stealing and keeping a protected animal.

“We are, all three of us, sorry to Sea World and the time lost searching for Dirk. We’re just glad he’s all right,” Jones told Australia’s Channel 7.

Rescue

The men and their Australian friend, James Vasilj, 18, had guzzled a litre and a half of vodka between them at a beach party on the Gold Coast before they made their way to the nearby animal theme park, taking videos of their dip with the dolphins, the court heard.

Back at the flat, the men posed for photos with their new feathered friend before passing out.

The following morning, they did their best to take him under their wing – trying to feed Dirk bread and washing him in the shower. In a home video taken by the men, one can be heard saying: “Hey, Mr Penguin. I can’t believe I have a penguin in my apartment, man. You stole a penguin.”

But their high-jinks were shortlived. In a panic and a flap, they took the penguin to a nearby park where they released him into a shallow estuary.

Dirk was only rescued after a passing couple spotted him getting chased out of the water by another animal before a dog stepped into the rescue and shepherded him back to shore.

He was picked up by Sea World staff who took him back to his enclosure, for him to be reunited with girlfriend, Peaches, and 27 of his penguin pals.

Apologies

Jones, a former British Royal Marine, and Mules, a bricklayer, were arrested after a friend saw updates on Facebook featuring photos and videos of their escapade and reported them to the police.

Sporting a penguin tie, their lawyer, Bill Potts, told Southport magistrates’ court they meant no harm to the animal. He tendered a letter of apology to Sea World and the Australian public and said their actions were immature and stupid, but that there was no malice involved.

Magistrate Brian Kucks accepted an appeal not to record convictions against them. Delivering sentence, he said: “You could have found yourself in a morgue if you’d gone into the wrong enclosure. Perhaps next time you are at a party, you will consider drinking a little less vodka.”

Mr Vasilj, who is facing a single charge of trespassing, had his case adjourned to 27 June.