A Melbourne woman retrieved a dead man's toes from an animal shelter bin, thinking it was "cool" and that she could sell them online for $400, a court has heard.
In a case described as "astounding" and "distressing" by a magistrate, Joanna Kinman was convicted but dodged a jail sentence on Monday.
The 48-year-old mother of five from Lilydale, in Melbourne's east, pleaded guilty to offensive conduct involving human remains.
The Ringwood Magistrates' Court heard Kinman, 48, was working as a ranger at a Melbourne animal shelter when two dogs were brought in last year.
Prosecutor Melissa Sambrooks said the dogs belonged to a man who had been dead for "some time", and that his pets had eaten some of the corpse before it was discovered.
The dogs "became ill and vomited up human remains" when they were taken to the shelter, the officer said.
In a police interview, Kinman admitted taking the toes and that she intended to sell them or give them away.
"I thought, cool, it's a toe," she told detectives.
During a search of Kinman's home, police found the toes suspended in a jar of liquid preservatives on a shelf. Kinman had also displayed a guinea pig trotter, a bird skull, an alligator claw and her own children's teeth.
The court heard Kinman was an "avid contributor" of a Facebook group where specimens were traded. Police said she had previously sold "wet specimens" of a stillborn puppy and kitten and was in possession of a book titled A History of Punishment and Torture.
Detective Andrew Austin said the dead man's son was aware of what Kinman had done with the remains, but that other close relatives were not told because they would have been too distraught.
I'm astounded...this woman is clearly a danger to society.. and she was spared jail....