A man has appeared in court accused of killing a goose.
Prosecutors say Mark Flintham stamped and kicked on the bird in an effort to break its neck in the Abbey Meadows, Abingdon, on August 10 last year.
The bird subsequently died.
The 54-year-old is expected to say he acted humanely and was putting the goose out of its misery after it was attacked by a dog.
Appearing before Oxford Magistrates’ Court on Tuesday (February 21), Flintham, who gave a care of address of a lock house on the River Thames in Abingdon, pleaded not guilty to a single charge of causing unnecessary suffering to a protected animal.
The justices fixed the trial for May 15 and released the defendant on unconditional bail.
Liz Tweed appeared for the Crown Prosecution Service during the short hearing, while Flintham was represented by Angela Porter.
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