JEN OVERELL | Local News | Contact

Three people were arrested last night at the O’Malley Brothers Feedlot on the Betoota City Limits after police and landowners caught them attempting to free livestock from the facility.

Dale Pegmen (21), Sarah Porce -Jones (23) and Kevin Cockbrow (32) fronted Betoota Local Court this morning where they were each charged with a string of trespass and vandalism offences.

Police will allege that the group decided to ‘raid’ the feedlot after finding out about it on the controversial Aussie Farms map, which is owned and run by people who hate hard working Australian farmers and their families.

The court heard that the attempt to free 140 steers and 35 heifers from a holding paddock was thwarted by a tricky latch on a gate.

None of the internet-based activists could work out that the toe of a boot was needed under one of the gates to lift it up and make the gap between the gates small enough to unhook the chain.

In a tragic turn of events, Mr Pegman has contracted tetanus from the rusty gate latch because his parents opted to not vaccinate him against the deadly infection as a child.

Cockbrown and Porce-Jones are due back in court on May 6 while Mr Pegman is due back only if he lives to see Easter.

More to come.

