A six-month custodial sentence has been given to a beef and sheep farmer who failed to provide suitable care for his livestock and for disposing of livestock carcasses.
35-year-old Daniel Mark Hoskin from Gunnislake, appeared before the court in Bodmin Magistrates on November 7, where he pleaded guilty to eight offences including:
- Causing unnecessary suffering to a sheep;
- Failing to care for sheep and cattle;
- Failing to dispose of sheep and cattle carcasses.
Hoskin who previously received a caution for cruelty offences in 2017, has been banned from keeping farmed animals for five years, and has also been ordered to undertake 180 hours of unpaid work.
The court also ordered him to pay a sum of £3,478.21, as well as a £154 surcharge.
The case arose from a complaint made about the thin cattle kept in Trebullet, owned by Hoskin.
Inspectors from Cornwall County Council then visited belle Vue St Anns Chapel, Qunnislake on March 23 in response to the complaint.
Animal welfare concerns
The inspectors found 21 bovine carcasses and nine sheep carcasses at the field, some of which had been there for weeks.
One ewe needed euthanising because of her condition. There were also cattle without water or forage, and the sheep had scab.
The court was informed by Kevin Hill, a council worker, that when the sheep and cattle were found by inspectors, they were being kept in an unsuitable environment with access to hazardous items including plastic, carcasses and wire.
There were cattle and sheep that did not have a suitable diet and had not received prompt or effective treatment.
There was video evidence gathered during the inspection shown to the magistrates.
Sentencing of beef and sheep farmer
Pat Haines, representing Hoskin, informed the court that his client had plead guilty at the earliest opportunity to the allegations made, and had been fully cooperative throughout the investigation.
Haines said that Hoskin worked long hours elsewhere, and things had become too much for him.
During sentencing, Hoskin was informed by the magistrates that the severity of the offences passed the custody threshold.
They also said that Hoskin would be brought back to court and would go to prison if he committed any other offences within the 18 months of his suspended six-month sentence.
Gary Webster, trading standards officer at Cornwall County Council, said: “This case was brought after inspectors had given Mr. Hoskin advice and guidance on numerous occasions. In total, he had 22 visits over a nine-year period and was issued with a caution in 2017.
“Mr. Hoskin, while acting upon the advice when given, could clearly not maintain the required standards of the animal welfare legislation over any period of time.”
Councillor and portfolio holder for Environment and Climate Change at Cornwall County Council, Martyn Alvey, said: “When advice and guidance are given, but not acted on, we will not hesitate to pursue formal proceedings.
“Allowing sheep and cattle access to hazards, failing to provide them with an adequate diet, failing to provide them with treatment and leaving dead sheep and cattle to rot is completely unacceptable,” he added.
Cllr. Alvey welcome the court’s decision to keep animals safe and “to protect the reputation of the Cornish farming industry”.
