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Follow Up: Bird killer starts sentence

EAST LONDON -- Convicted bird killer Fransien Minnie has been serving her sentence of community service at the aquarium here, curator Willie Maritz said yesterday.

He said she had started her 400-hour sentence at the end of September and had to spend four hours each week at the aquarium.

"She arrived on that first weekend inappropriately dressed and went home an hour early, but since then she has been working hard."

Maritz said he was surprised at the media attention Minnie had received for leaving early. There had been a misunderstanding at the start of her sentence.

"I was expecting someone from the Department of Correctional Services to come and see me before she started here so we could establish the ground rules and the type of work she would be expected to do.

"On that first Saturday, September 29, she turned up in a dress and leather shoes which was not the sort of clothing to wear when cleaning out pools," he said.

He added that since then Minnie had been told what was expected of her and she had complied. "She now comes dressed in a T-shirt, jeans and takkies and is kept busy working at cleaning the pools or cutting the grass."

He said a report in a weekend news-paper that no one at the aquarium wanted to work with her was incorrect.

"I have asked my staff and no one in this office said they didn't want to work with her or that she was unwelcome."

Maritz said that now that Minnie knew what was expected of her she was "pulling her weight".

Minnie, 16, is the only person convicted in connection with the killing of nine penguins, two pelicans and two gannets at the aquarium.

The attacks led to a closed circuit television system being installed at the aquarium to try to prevent a repetition of the gruesome killings. -- DDR

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