Sadistic Brit croc expert abused dogs in secret custom-made 'torture chamber'

26 September 2023 , 13:39

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Britton was remanded in custody until 13 December when he will be sentenced. (Image: supplied)

The British crocodile expert who carried out heinous crimes on dogs had a secret shipping container on his property where the horrors took place.

Adam Britton, 51, stood emotionless in the dock at the Supreme Court of the Northern Territory (NT) yesterday where he admitted to 60 charges — ranging from animal cruelty to raping or attempting to rape a dog and possessing and transmitting child abuse material. The court heard how he was abusing the animals in a shipping container on his property that had been fitted out with torture and recording equipment. When police raided the container near Darwin last year they found it rammed with computers, cameras, external hard drives and sex toys. Prosecutors said the lair was used to "torture, sexually exploit and kill dogs."

Australian zoologist Adam Britton with one of his crocodiles (AFP via Getty Images)

He called the container his "torture room" and then shared the footage of his crimes online under pseudonyms. Britton used Telegram accounts to engage with "like-minded people" and share images and recordings of his heinous deeds, Crown Prosecutor Marty Aust told the court. He used another account to upload and disseminate images and recordings of his crimes. In total, there were 114 chat threads. In one message, he reportedly told someone: "I had repressed it. In the last few years, I let it out again, and now I can't stop. I don't want to."

The court heard that the wildlife expert had a "sadistic sexual interest" in animals, in particular dogs, and that he had intentionally killed around 40 animals since 2014. In an extremely rare move, the judge said the details of the crimes were so "grotesque" that he warned journalists and security staff to leave the courtroom. NT Chief Justice Michael Grant said the details cause "nervous shock" or "some other adverse psychological reaction."

Born in Yorkshire with degrees from Leeds and Bristol, Britton then made the move down under over 20 years ago. He was regarded as a leading expert in crocodiles and a renowned zoologist who even met British national treasure David Attenborough for the filming of Life in Cold Blood. He also appears to have met Bear Grylls and told ABC in 2015: "He [Bear] was a bit of a sook (Australian slang for wimp) to be honest. He was definitely a bit apprehensive about going in with [the crocodile]."

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Britton was remanded in custody until 13 December when he will be sentenced.

Rachel Hagan