Alleged rabbit abuser has mental problems - lawyer19 August 2005 An Auckland-born finance broker charged with bestiality and aggravated cruelty after 17 dead rabbits and a guinea pig were found in and around his Sydney office has mental health problems brought on by illegal drug dependency, his lawyer told a Sydney court today. Douglas Marr, counsel for Brendan Francis McMahon, said his client's addiction to the amphetamine ice had affected his mental state and he required urgent psychiatric assessment. Mr Marr made the admissions during a failed bail application before Magistrate Allan Moore, who said any assessment would have to be carried out while McMahon was in custody because he felt it was not in the public interest to release him. McMahon, who looked gaunt and unshaven in prison issue clothing when appearing via video-link from a remand centre, had promised not to go within 50 metres of a pet shop if he had been granted bail. The New Zealander has not yet pleaded to one charge of bestiality involving a rabbit, 18 counts of aggravated animal cruelty involving rabbits and a guinea pig, plus two charges of possessing cannabis. Prosecutor Laurie Gray today indicated six more bestiality charges were pending as a joint investigation between the police and the RSPCA continued. Police allege all offences were committed between July 20 and August 11 this year. McMahon was arrested at his inner city office on August 11 after a police and RSPCA officers saw him enter the premises with a pet box. He was seen holding rabbits to his face and chest at various times and was challenged by police when he left the building. A dead rabbit was found in a nearby doorway and another was found in his office desk with injuries so severe it had to be destroyed. The discovery of three decomposing rabbits in a paper towel dispenser inside a men's inner city toilet on July 20 was the catalyst for an operation in which Sydney pet stores were urged to report suspicious purchasers. A city pet store owner helped alert police after McMahon, wearing dark glasses and displaying animal scratches on his face, tried to buy three rabbits. After the initial discovery in the toilet block, five rabbits and a guinea pig were found near the offices of Meares McMahon Capital Pty Ltd on August 1. The animals heads had been tortured and mutilated, ruptured eyes hung from their sockets. One of the rabbits had injuries consistent with vaginal penetration. Three days later McMahon used a company credit card to buy three rabbits from a Bondi pet store. Investigators realised the inner city billing address was near where several dead rabbits had been discovered and mounted a surveillance operation. On August 5 a dismembered white rabbit was found in York Lane and the following day police on patrol found a pair of grey rabbit ears and a rabbit corpse nearby. Three more dead rabbits were found in pet box in the lane on August 9. McMahon, a director of finance Meares McMahon Capital Pty Ltd, is due to reappear in court on September 30.
