Category Archives: cows

Llandysul, Ceredigion: David and Evan Meirion Davies

February 16, 2019 misanthropic Leave a comment

#TheList farmers David Davies , born 1956, and brother Evan Meirion Davies, born 1969, both of Penffynnon Farm, Bangor Teifi, Llandysul SA44 4HX – for a catalogue of appalling cruelty to cattle

Cattle in the care of brothers David and Evan Meirion Davies were housed in terrible conditions, with no food, water or dry lying area.

Brothers David Davies, and Evan Meirion Davies admitted 13 charges of animal cruelty.

The prosecution follows a visit by animal health officers and a Animal and Plant Health Agency vet to the farm in April 2018.

Officers found 58 cattle carcasses in various states of decay in the cattle sheds and surrounding fields. The remaining cattle were housed in terrible conditions, with no food, water or dry lying area.

The vet confirmed that the cattle were being caused unnecessary suffering, and also formed the opinion that the dead cattle had also succumbed to the horrendous conditions found in the sheds, and died of neglect. The vet had to euthanise two cattle to stop further suffering during visits to the premises.

This was the worst case of animal welfare neglect seen to date by the animal health team of Ceredigion County Council, they said.

In sentencing, the magistrates acknowledged the evidence of horrendous suffering, inadequate care and poor animal husbandry displayed by both defendants to the animals.

The Cabinet member responsible for public protection, Cllr Gareth Lloyd said: “This was a truly shocking case of neglect that caused terrible suffering to so many animals. We will not hesitate to act decisively whenever we need to protect animal welfare.”

“This was an extreme case, and in no way reflects on the dedication of the overwhelming majority of Ceredigion farmers in maintaining the highest standards of care for their animals.”

Sentencing:
16 weeks’ imprisonment suspended for 12 months. Ordered to pay costs to the council of £1,500 each. Disqualified from keeping any animals of any description for five years. The pair were allowed 28 days in which to make the necessary arrangements.

Cambrian News

Farm animals, cows

Crediton, Devon: Michael Rice

January 21, 2019 misanthropic Leave a comment

#TheList farmer Michael Rice, born c. 1950, of High View, Woodland Head, Crediton EX17 5HE – kept cattle in appalling conditions; failed to treat very poorly cow.

Officers described the living conditions for the animals throughout the farm as ‘generally poor’, as several animals did not have a dry lying area and had access to sharp objects which posed a risk to their health such as farm machinery and rusty nails.

The case was brought by Devon, Somerset and Torbay Trading Standards Service following an investigation into concerns for the welfare of his cattle.

Trading standards officers and a vet from the Animal and Plant Health Agency (APHA) visited the farm and discovered a bovine which appeared to have been unable to stand for several weeks with no access to water or supplementary feed.

Rice had previously been advised by a vet that if the animal’s health didn’t improve it should be culled. However several weeks later, when trading standards visited his farm, he had made no attempt to do so.

The vet believed that the animal was subjected to ‘avoidable and unnecessary suffering’ under the Animal Welfare Act 2006 both by failure to cull without delay and failure to isolate the sick animal and house it in suitable accommodation with dry comfortable bedding.

District Judge Matson described the conditions on the farm as ‘appalling’ and the condition the bovine was left in as ‘extremely upsetting and distressing’.

Sentencing:
16-week suspended prison sentence, fined £6,970 and banned from keeping animals for 10 years.

Farming UK

Traveller Animal Crimes, Dogs, Equine abuse, cows, horses and ponies

Bridgwater, Somerset: Martin Veysey

December 20, 2018 misanthropic

#TheList Martin Veysey, born c. 1955, of 6 Albert Court, Albert Street, Bridgwater, Somerset TA6 7ET – breached a previous life ban on keeping animals imposed on him in 2011

Veysey pleaded guilty to six charges under the Animal Welfare Act and the Cattle Identification Regulations on Tuesday, December 18, 2018 at Taunton Crown Court.

Veysey was banned for life from keeping animals in 2011 after he was prosecuted for causing unnecessary suffering and failing to provide appropriate care for his animals.

The latest prosecution was brought by Devon, Somerset and Torbay Trading Standards Service and related to the purchase, transport and ownership of cattle obtained from markets in the South West.

Charges also related to a pony and an American bulldog owned by Veysey.

Veysey was also found guilty for failing to report and record the movements of cattle and failing to surrender the passports of cattle to Defra’s British Cattle Movement Service.

The court heard that the prosecution followed an investigation by Trading Standards officers.

Officers gathered intelligence from several sources including from members of the public, who responded to adverts he had placed to sell animals, as well as the RSPCA, livestock auctioneers and landowners who had witnessed his involvement with animals.

In sentencing Veysey, the judge told him that ‘the legislation is intended to protect animals from cowboys like you’ and warned him any further breaches would mean that he would go to prison.

Sentencing: eight-month prison sentence suspended for two years. Costs of £2,115.

BridgwaterMercury

Farm animals, Multiple Species, cows, sheep

Tiverton, Devon: William Douglas Dolley

December 7, 2018 misanthropic

#TheList William Douglas Dolley, born March 1969, of Holwell Farm, Collipriest, Tiverton, Devon EX16 4PT – let a calf starve and left dead sheep in a field

Dolley was caught with piles of bones, dead animals and sick cattle on his farm in Devon twice in 11 months by trading standards inspectors.

He had been due to stand trial over a previous inspection in 2017.

But when a vet and trading standards officer returned to Holwell Farm a on 7 February 2018 they found two dead sheep lying unburied in fields where other animals were grazing.

They also discovered piles of rubbish, old bones and an emaciated black bullock calf lying on its side in a cattle shed with no food or water.

Its condition was so bad that it was killed immediately on the orders of the vet.

Dolley admitted causing unnecessary suffering to the bullock, three charges of failing to dispose of carcasses and one of failing to prevent animals having access to by-products.

Sentencing:
Jailed for 18 weeks. Banned from keeping animals for five years.

BBC News

Farm animals, cows

SILVERBRIDGE, SOUTH ARMAGH: JOHN THOMAS sEAN mURPHY

July 17, 2018 misanthropic

#TheList Farmer John Thomas Sean Murphy, born c. 1958, of 6 Carnally Road, Silverbridge, Newry, Armagh BT35 9LY – convicted of a series of animal welfare charges.

Murphy, who also has a conviction for the harassment of his ex wife, had been charged with failing to take reasonable steps to ensure the needs of an animal were met, failing to prevent unnecessary suffering to bovine animals and failing to hold a carcass that had not been slaughtered for human consumption, pending consignment or disposal in such a manner as to ensure no animal or bird would have access to it.

Murphy was fined £2,500, and given a three month jail term suspended for two years.

He was also disqualified from owning, keeping, participating in keeping animals and being party to an arrangement under which that person is entitled to control or influence the way in which animals are kept, from dealing in animals, transporting and arranging for the transport of animals for two years.

Belfast Telegraph

Farm animals, Multiple Species, cows, pigs, poultry, sheep

Moreton-In-Marsh, Gloucestershire: Clive Lockton

July 13, 2018 misanthropic

#TheList farmer Clive Lockton, born c. 1958, of New Road Farm, Todenham, Moreton-in-Marsh GL56 9PN – kept his livestock and poultry in terrible conditions

Lockton pleaded guilty to 17 animal welfare offences including causing unnecessary suffering to a female pig as well as failing to ensure animal welfare and failing to properly inform the authorities of a death of a cow on the farm.

The conditions in which the farmer kept his livestock and poultry were so unsuitable and dangerous that one pig was injured by a makeshift shelter which collapsed on it. The animal had to be shot by a vet to relieve its suffering when animal welfare inspectors visited.

He also pleaded guilty to failing to ear mark cattle and failing to inform the authorities of animal movements off his farm.

The court heard how Trading Standards officer Claire Miers and vet Marie Ipas both visited Lockton’s farm on June 7th last year and found 75 pigs, seven sheep and hundreds of chickens living in a ‘terrible conditions’ with poor, inadequate bedding and feed and water.

Prosecuting Bonnie Styles said there was no fresh water or bedding for the animals and that shelters constructed by Lockton had collapsed, injuring a sow.

The pig had a massive abscess on its leg and had suffered broken ribs when the wall fell on it. It was in such a poor state a vet had to be called immediately to shoot the animal to put it out of its misery.

The court heard how Miss Miers had previously visited the farm and helped Lockton apply for planning permission to build a new shed for the pigs but when she later returned the shed was being used to house cattle.

“At one end of the shed there was an area which was used for feeding. There were pallets and a trough all tied together with string and there were planks on the floor with nails sticking out of them which the cattle could injure themselves on,” said Miss Styles.

“In the feeding area the mud was so deep the cattle couldn’t walk and there was metal corrugated panels sticking out of the ground.

“There was an old bath used for feeding which was in a filfthy condition and in a water container there was a dead bird which Mr Lockton said he was going to remove later.

“There were holes in the floor big enough for a pig to fall into.”

The court heard there was also a pile of out of date food which the chickens and pigs had access to.

“There was Cumberland sausages, chicken and bacon sandwiches and flame grilled chicken which the free roaming pigs and hens had access to,” said Miss Styles.

The inspectors also saw three calves without ear tags which are required by law because of animal health and movement regulations.

They also found a sow in pain suffering.

“The pig was in a very poor condition and had what appeared to be an open wound on its legs. It was hobbling and its jaw was dislocated,” said Miss Styles.

Manure and dirt had built up in the water containers.

“The pig pens were in a very poor state with no dry area and empty food buckets,” said Miss Styles.

Sentencing: rehabilitation order to carry out 15 days’ community service over 12 months. Total of £485 costs and charges. Disqualified from keeping cattle and pigs for a period of five years, with stipulation that this cannot be appealed for a period of two years.

Punchline Gloucester
GloucestershireLive

Farm animals, cows

Harleston, Suffolk: Robin Hayward

April 17, 2018 misanthropic

#TheList farmer Robin Hayward, born c. 1972, of Withersdale Hall Farm, Metfield, Harleston IP20 0JR – allowed 56 cattle to die in disgusting conditions

Underfed cattle at Robin Hayward's farm in Metfield, Suffolk — Underfed cattle at Robin Hayward’s farm in Metfield, Suffolk

Farmer Robin Hayward pleaded guilty to nine offences relating to the health and welfare of cattle on his farm, as well as the non-disposal of dead cattle.

In March 2017 vets found the carcasses of 38 cattle in various stages of decomposition in a muck heap and others were found rotting in slurry near malnourished animals.

Sentencing Robin Hayward, Judge Martyn Levett described his treatment of the cattle as “incompetent and inhumane” and said they had suffered over a prolonged period of more than six weeks.

He rejected defence claims that the offences were the result of a financial crisis and said Hayward had access to funding which could have prevented unnecessary suffering to the cattle.

“As a consequence of your failings cattle died and were left to rot away in knee-deep slurry with live cattle trampling over the dead carcasses to compete for inadequate feed,” said the judge.

He described the conditions the animals were living in as “disgusting” and said Hayward was solely responsible for what happened to them.

Hayward admitted eight offences including causing unnecessary suffering to cattle, failing to have carcasses identified and collected without delay, failing to notify the death of cattle and offences relating to the welfare of the cattle.

Sentencing: 44-week prison sentence suspended for two years; 120 hours of unpaid work in the community. Fined £16,200 and ordered to pay costs of £12,900. Banned from keeping or owning farm animals.

East Anglian Daily Times
Diss Express

Farm animals, Multiple Species, Dogs, Equine abuse, cows, horses and ponies

Pinxton, Nottingham: farmer David Arfon Davies

February 20, 2018 misanthropic

#TheList David Arfon Davies, born c. 1959, of Brookhill Hall Farm, Brookhill Lane, Pinxton, Nottingham NG16 6JU – neglected the welfare of animals on his farm

Rottweiler Modlin and horse Tommy have recovered from their ordeal on David Davies' farm in Pinxton, Nottingham — Rottweiler Modlin and horse Tommy have recovered from their ordeal on David Davies’ farm in Pinxton, Nottingham

Davies had denied causing unnecessary suffering at the farm but failed to turn up for his trial and was found guilty at Nottingham Magistrates’ Court in February 2018.

The enquiry began when Davies took a horse, named Tommy, to be castrated, only for experts to decide he was too weak to withstand a general anaesthetic.

Tommy’s ribs and spine were easily seen, he was infected with lice, and was not used to being handled.

The RSPCA was told and visited the farm. Inspector Teresa Potter said a rottweiler was tied to a gate and “hunched over a bucket, adding that the dog’s “demeanour was very dull, you could see all his bones and he was scruffy.”

She went into a barn with a vet where they found two cows lying amid straw. A Swiss red cow was under a rug and had “a horrendous wound to her hip.”

Inspector Potter added: “There was a horrible smell as you lifted the rug. I would describe it as a rotting flesh sort of smell.”

Vet Christine Jamieson said the cow had ulcers the size of “dinner plates and right down to the bone.”

She said: “I think it had been dragged over a concrete surface.”

They only found a sick Friesian cow because it was covered with builder’s bags which began to move.

“It was trying to raise its head when it heard us talking,” said Miss Jamieson.

She believed both had been unable to stand since the previous December and that would have caused internal damage.

“We went down to the house and he said ‘they’re alive’, and carried on and didn’t seem to understand it was inhumane to keep cows like that,” added Miss Jamieson.

The RSPCA’s prosecutor Mr Wright called for the farmer to be banned from owning and keeping any animals. This request was granted by the courts, with the farmer receiving a life ban.

Tommy and Modlin were taken into the care of the RSPCA and made full recoveries. Sadly the two ill cows found on the farm were euthanised immediately.

Sentencing:
David Davies was also given a 26-week prison term, suspended for two years, and must pay £750 towards the costs of the RSPCA. Banned for life from keeping livestock.

Nottingham Post

Farm animals, Multiple Species, cows, sheep

Silsden, Keighley: David Holmes

March 15, 2011 misanthropic

#TheList David Holmes, born 13/05/1956, of Fairdale, Hen Holme Lane, Silsden, Keighley BD20 0LX – repeated cruelty towards farm animals despite previous bans

Holmes continually ignored court orders which have banned him from owning animals, the court heard.

The prosecution was brought by Bradford Council following his breach of the order on February 17, 2011.

The offence came to light when he was seen muck-spreading on his land in Silsden by a Council environmental health officer.

Holmes denied the offence and the case went to trial, with District Judge, Susan Bouch, finding in the Council’s favour.

Sentencing was remitted to magistrates in March 2011, who as well as sending Holmes to prison, also issued a new disqualification under the Animal Welfare Act 2006 which has greater powers.

It means that he cannot keep or own any animals and he cannot participate in any schemes that are involved with animals for the next ten years.

Neither can he apply for appeal against the ban for the next five years.

Holmes already has two previous disqualification bans after prosecutions brought by Bradford Council and the RSPCA but he has continued to breach those bans, the District Judge was told during the trial.

After the case, Jonathan Balsham, the Council’s consultant solicitor, said: “While Holmes keeps on breaching the laws relating to animals, we will continue to prosecute him.

“He has shown no regard for animal welfare or for the court orders and we are pleased that the court has taken a serious view of these matters and has sentenced him accordingly.”

Holmes was imprisoned for six months and banned for life from keeping animals in 1999. He already had two court fines, for cruelty to a ewe and a ram, when he was convicted of causing unnecessary suffering to cattle.

In November 2009 he was caught presenting cattle at Skipton auction mart in Gargrave Road, Skipton and sentenced to 120 hours unpaid work and had to pay £4,548 in costs.

He went on to notch up further convictions for repeatedly flouting the ban, cruelty to sheep and cattle and illegally trying to move sheep to France.

His final conviction came in 2011 when he was jailed for six months and received a fourth lifetime ban for causing unnecessary suffering to livestock.

Sentencing: jailed for six months and a further lifetime ban on keeping animals was issued.

Telegraph & Argus 15/03/2011
Telegraph & Argus 01/07/2010
Telegraph & Argus 22/06/2003

===
2016 update: In July 2016 Holmes appealed unsuccessfully
to have his lifetime ban on keeping livestock lifted.

Judge Jonathan Durham Hall QC said Holmes, who has four lifetime bans under the Animal Welfare Act, would never be deemed a fit and proper person to care for animals.

He had a total of 13 relevant convictions and lost appeals stretching back 20 years, the court heard.

“There is an appalling background of distressing cruelty to animals,” the judge said.