A Darkes Forest man has admitted illegally poaching deer on private coal mining property at Mt Kembla after police caught him and two friends in the midst of an early morning hunt.
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Radwan Alam pleaded guilty to six charges including trespassing and illegal hunting offences in Wollongong Local Court on Tuesday after prosecutors agreed to withdraw a more serious charge of aggravated animal cruelty.
The Sydney construction company owner listened to the court proceedings via telephone, choosing not to appear in person after the court heard he'd developed flu-like symptoms earlier in the week.
A set of agreed facts tendered upon Alam's plea said police were called to the Dendrobium Coal site on Stones Road just after 2 o'clock one morning in May where they discovered Alam and two other men in the company of two large Irish Wolfhound hunting dogs and the carcasses of three Rusa deer.
One of the animals, a fawn, was found loaded on the top of Alam's white Toyota Landcruiser ute, while the other two - adult females - were located about 20 metres into the bush.
Both animals had their throats slashed and one was sporting a flesh wound about 10cm along its right leg.
Officers took several photographs of the dead animals where they lay.
When police spoke to Alam and asked him what he was doing in the area, he replied "just taking my dog for a walk".
Meanwhile, a search of the Landscruiser uncovered a meat clever under the driver's side floor mat, a black butterfly knife behind the driver's seat and a plethora of torches and radios, commonly used for hunting purposes.
The three men were arrested and questioned, at which time Alam told police the butterfly knife belonged to his five-year-old son and he "didn't even know it was there".
The trio were taken to Wollongong Police Station and charged.
Alam was remanded in custody on additional weapons charges relating to the seizure of the butterfly knife but his two co-accused were released on police bail.
Alam was granted strict conditional bail in court two days later.
Police were critical of Alam's actions in the fact sheets, saying he appeared to have "no regard for the safe and ethical hunting of Rusa deer".
The case was adjourned to October 6 for sentencing.