Former Queensland greyhound trainer Tom Noble has been handed a three-year, wholly suspended jail sentence after pleading guilty to animal cruelty.

Noble was charged with 15 counts of animal cruelty last year during a joint police and RSPCA investigation, after the ABC's Four Corners program exposed widespread live baiting, including at Noble's Churchable property, north of Gatton.

In the Ipswich District Court today, Noble's sentence was suspended for five years, after he pleaded guilty in a separate appearance last week.

In handing down the sentence, Judge Alexander Horneman-Wren described live baiting as a "barbaric act".

"These offences are abhorrent to all right-thinking members of the public," he said.

He noted Noble was "entirely unlikely" to offend in the future after being banned from the greyhound industry and facing public outrage.

"There remains, in my view, some potential that others may be tempted to engage in such activities … there's a profit motive in racing," he said.

Judge Alexander said Noble had been involved in the industry for more than 50 years, and was introduced to live baiting techniques decades ago.

He said Noble's kangaroo shooting and pig hunting had contributed to his detachment about feral animals.

But he said shooting was a vastly more humane death than the terror experienced by animals exposed to the "ferocity of greyhound dogs for the very purpose of developing a bloodlust within them".

Sentence a 'setback': RSPCA

RSPCA spokeswoman Georgia Sakrzewski said Noble's sentence was inadequate.

"Somebody who's done something so serious over such a long period of time, for them to receive three years and not go to prison I would absolutely consider that to be a setback," she said.

Sorry, this video has expired GRAPHIC FOOTAGE: Possum used as bait for greyhounds at Tom Noble's property

Ms Sakrzewski said serious animal cruelty legislation was introduced last year to deal with these type of offences.

"The maximum penalty for that legislation is seven years' imprisonment. I cannot think of too many scenarios that involved such significant cruelty to animals over such an extended period of time," she said.

"So therefore we were hoping that Mr Noble would receive a significant sentence. Certainly we were hoping he'd be required to serve some degree of imprisonment."

Judge 'took health status on Nobles into account'

Outside court, Noble's lawyer Danielle Heable said her client was happy with the sentence.

"His honour did take into account that he had been vilified in the media and experienced some backlash from the charges before the court," she said.

"That was obviously a consideration of the court in handing down the sentence.

"It allows him an opportunity to go home and be present with his family and take care of his wife.

"I think the sentence took into account Mr Noble's personal circumstances his health status, and that of the health status of his wife, and his requirement to be there to care for and look after her needs and to care for his own health issues."

In sentencing submissions last week, defence lawyer Angus Edwards said Noble had been ostracised from the greyhound industry and become the "poster boy" for live baiting in Queensland.