US farm employee jailed for abusing turkeys

A former employee at a Butterball plant in North Carolina has pleaded guilty to animal cruelty after he was seen on video abusing turkeys.

Brian Douglas was one of several people shown stamping on, kicking and hitting live birds at the Shannon Butterball Farm in Hoke County last year. Six other workers were also charged in the case.

Douglas will serve 30 days in jail, followed by six months of probation and 36 months of supervised probation.

He was also ordered to pay $550 (€439.10) in fines and to provide a DNA sample to the state.