Three workers have been fined over footage of a pigeon being bashed with a golf club at a minesite in Western Australia.

A 24-year-old man and two 30-year-old men have all pleaded guilty to animal cruelty over an incident while the trio were working at Pantoro Gold’s Norseman Gold Project in June 2023.

A Snapchat video showed the two older men holding up a pigeon before the younger man used a golf club to hit it, sending the bird flying for more than a metre.

The 24-year-old was seen continuing to hit the pigeon four times before putting it in a nearby skip bin.

The caption read: “May his soul rest in peace.”

The video was posted to one of the men’s Snapchat story, which was then reported to RSPCA WA.

Pantoro Gold said it fired the men involved after the incident emerged.

“Pantoro takes this matter extremely seriously. We acted immediately upon learning of the incident and provided full assistance to both WA Police and the RSPCA throughout their investigation,” a spokesperson said.

“The individuals involved are no longer employed by Pantoro.

“Pantoro maintains a zero-tolerance approach to acts of animal cruelty and expects the highest standards of behaviour from all employees and contractors.”

The three men were sentenced at Kalgoorlie Magistrates Court on Monday. 

Magistrate William Yoo said the offending was “absolutely disgusting, vile and reprehensible”, adding that the pigeon’s distress was evident and it was an “innocent and vulnerable animal”.

He told the men they had “egged each other on” and “betrayed” their humanity.

“(This is a) very serious and shocking matter which should shock the public’s conscience,” he said.

RSPCA WA argued they maliciously beat and ill-treated the pigeon, which they claimed was alive during the attack.

The 24-year-old was fined $48,000, and the two 30-year-old men were fined $39,000. The trio avoided imprisonment.

RSPCA WA Inspector Manager Kylie Green welcomed the sentencing and said the behaviour shown in the video was disgusting.

“There is never an excuse to torment or abuse an animal,” she said.