A man has pleaded guilty to assaulting a television news camera operator outside court in Perth's north, while a second man is fighting a charge of attacking a journalist just seconds earlier.
Leslie Thomas Griffin, 56, has admitted to assaulting the camera operator and causing unlawful damage to the camera on January 14 at Joondalup Magistrates Court.
A hearing was told Griffin, who lives in Victoria, had been at court last month to support his son.
He watched on as Dylan Griffin was sentenced to 11 months in prison for torturing and killing a kangaroo last year, in an incident described by the magistrate as "sadistic".
The court heard that as he was leaving the courthouse on January 14, Leslie Griffin pushed past members of the media and hit the Channel Seven cameraman.
The police prosecutor said Griffin struck the man with his open left hand and said, "Come on c***".
Griffin was not in court today.
He will now appear in court on March 6 to be sentenced, likely via video link.
Second man set to fight charge
Meanwhile, Mark Musa Bhatti has pleaded not guilty to assault and assault occasioning bodily harm against another journalist in the same incident.
It is alleged the 29-year-old attacked an ABC journalist who was covering the same animal cruelty case involving Griffin's son.
The magistrate ordered evidence disclosure by mid-April before the matter returns to court in August.
Mr Bhatti said nothing to the media as he left court this morning.
