Calls to Deport Texan Over Horse Cruelty

The contract musterer who flogged a horse so badly it had to be put down should be booted from the country, a North Queensland politician said yesterday.

Member for Burdekin Rosemary Menkens said the Attorney-General should immediately contact his federal counterpart to have the man's temporary work visa revoked.

Hugh Meixner, a Texan who migrated on a 457 visa in 2004 to work horses, pleaded guilty in the Bowen Magistrates Court on Thursday to animal cruelty after the incident on July 9 when the mare was taken from Byerwen Station, Newlands, to Charters Towers, a 300km trip.

"This individual has been found guilty by Bowen Magistrates Court of a horrendous crime which beggars belief," Mrs Menkens said.

"We do not need and should not allow an individual who now has a criminal conviction for animal cruelty to remain in this country. His 457 temporary work visa was granted as a privilege and he has abused that privilege in the worst possible way. He was lucky to avoid prison, but his visa should be cancelled immediately and he should be put on the first plane back to Texas."

Prosecutor Sergeant Dave Blundell, a former stock squad officer, called for a prison term after giving a gut-wrenching description of the mare's injuries.

Barrister Bronwyn Hartigan argued for a good behaviour bond and Magistrate Athol Kennedy, after lengthy consideration, imposed a two-month jail term, suspended for 15 months. The owner of the four-year-old chestnut mare had warned Meixner the horse was hard to load on to a truck but he flogged it when he couldn't coax it on to the truck with bread.

Sgt Blundell said Meixner flogged the mare with a lariat so viciously he told the owner "not to look at it or you'll bash me".

"Its head was swollen, both eyes were closed, there were lacerations to the offside front leg, grazes to its face, welts along the length of its back, internal injuries that caused it to pass blood, rope burns and a large haematoma in the vulva area," Sgt Blundell said.

RSPCA Queensland spokesman Michael Beatty said the decision by the magistrate appeared to be totally out of touch with community expectations.

"A man beats a horse half to death and walks away with a suspended sentence ... yet again an opportunity to make a stand against animal cruelty has been ignored and the general public is quite rightfully feeling let down and totally disillusioned," he said. "It appears that the police prosecutor argued long and hard for a jail term to be imposed but this was ignored by the magistrate and the defendant has walked away with little more than a slap on the wrist. This case was prosecuted by the Queensland Police, not the RSPCA, but the man was charged under the Animal Care and Protection Act (2001) with animal cruelty. Under the Act he could have been liable to a $100,000 fine or two years imprisonment."

A petition has been set up for people to sign, who want Hugh Meixner to be deported for his barbaric actions. CLICK HERE to go to the petition.