Court clears flower-eating of vandalism charge

SYDNEY: An Australian court Wednesday heard the case against a goat accused of munching on flowers in central Sydney — and found in favor of the peckish beast. Gary the goat waited outside the local court while his owner James Dezarnaulds contested an Aus$440 ($464) fine issued last August, after police caught Gary chomping on flowers outside the Museum of Contemporary Art.
But Gary and Dezarnaulds — a comedian also known as Jimbo Bazoobi — beat the rap. Magistrate Carolyn Barkell accepted that Gary had been eating the flowers when police arrived, the Australian Associated Press (AAP) reported.
But she said there was no evidence Bazoobi brought Gary there with the intention of vandalising the vegetation. “He may have preferred to have an ice cream,” she said. Paul McGirr, described by AAP as Gary’s lawyer, told the court police had issued the wrong infringement notice because it related to a person and not a goat.
He said it could not proved that Bazoobi put Gary up to the act. Barkell canceled Bazoobi’s fine but dismissed his application for legal costs.