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A 50-year-old man has been arrested over the deaths of six miniature horses who had their throats slashed a week ago in their Australian stables.

The arrest of the 50-year-old man from Adelaide’s southern suburbs was announced yesterday.

Fleurieu Peninsula detectives arrested the man on Friday night, charging him with aggravated serious criminal trespass, property damage and ill treatment of animals.

“Investigators wish to reassure the public that this was not a random attack and is believed to have been a targeted act,” detectives said in a statement.

Investigations into the attack at Jacksons Miniatures Horses, in Clayton Bay, about 80km south of Adelaide, are continuing.

The man was released to appear in the Victor Harbor Magistrates Court on March 3.

Staff at the stud, owned by Julie and Mel Jackson, discovered the dead miniatures last weekend, when they checked their stables on Saturday morning.

The Jacksons, in an update on their Facebook page, said the arrest had provided some relief, but they still did not know the identify of the person or their motive.

They expressed their disappointment that the alleged offender had been bailed until March for a court appearance, saying the family and stable hands felt at risk.

The family congratulated the police for making an early arrest.

The public needed to push for tougher laws, they said.

“We in the horse community and the general public must work to strengthen the laws in respect to attacks and threats against horses and other animals.

“Society needs to convince the politicians and courts that such behaviour is not acceptable and is abhorrent. There is simply no comprehensible reason why these horses should have died like this.”

The offences carry a maximum jail term of 10 years.

South Australia police had earlier labelled the attack, believed to have been committed with a knife, as cruel and bizarre.

The victims were two colts and four fillies, all about two years old. Three other miniatures were spared by the offenders, possibly because their stall door was difficult to open.

The Jacksons acknowledged throughout that it appeared to have been a targeted attack, but have said they have no idea what was behind it.

“It just would take an extremely sick individual, I think, to carry this out, and we just can’t believe it,” said Daniel Spong, the son of Julie Jackson, in the days following the attack.

“These horses each have their own characters and personalities and each of the staff and family have their own personal relationships with the animals.

“Given the location of the property … it certainly looks as though it’s a targeted attack, but [we have] absolutely no idea why or who is behind it.”

Julie Jackson had posted a $A100,000 reward for information leading to a conviction, with radio personality Jeremy Cordeaux adding another $A10,000 to the sum.

The victims were:

Jackson’s AL Dralion (Aztecs Laramie (imp USA) x Silhouette Storms Bejewelled);

Jackson’s TBM Nouvelle Experience (Glenmar Park Teddys Black Magic x Lazy Bar Rowdys White Dove)

Jackson’s GF Sails At Clayton Bay (Shangrila MR Grand Finale x Cagra Park Delta Dawn)

Jackson’s JG Zumanity (Cranage Justa Gigolo x Cranage Heaven Scent)

Jackson’s GA Alegria (Apoco-D Gamblers Anonymous x Alchemy Dynamic Destiny)

Excellence Academy RM Flaunt It (SMHC’s Ringmaster x Our Lil Dobbins Steppins Moonbeam).

University of Adelaide Law School criminologist Allan Perry told The Herald Sun last week that aspects of the crime, including the remote location and premeditated actions, led him to believe the attack was personal.

“The motivation could be either that the perpetrator has a sadistic, sociopathic disorder or, alternatively, it could be an act of violence indirectly aimed at the owners of the horses, against whom the perpetrator had a grudge,” he said.

“Being a fairly obscure, out-of-the-way area, that would support the proposition that it might have been a premeditated act of violence against the owners of the horses, rather than just sadistic animal cruelty.”

It was likely to have been an act of vengeance against the owners, he said, essentially targeting the emotional attachment between animal and owner.

It was designed to cause the owners the maximum degree of emotional distress and suffering, he said.

Earlier report

First report