A Welsh farmer was handed a 12-month suspended sentence for several counts of animal welfare charges, including the disposal of cattle carcasses in a slurry pit, by a court in Wales.
Daniel Jones, of Bodafon y Glyn, Llanerchymedd, had previously pleaded guilty to causing unnecessary suffering to cattle which had resulted in their deaths, as well as failing to dispose of animal by-products and for refusing to keep accurate Veterinary Medicine records.
The incidents were understood to have taken place between January 2023 and April 2024, where it was confirmed that several cattle and calves were found dead on the premises while several more had to be euthanised after they were discovered in emaciated and dehydrated conditions.
Authorities had also found Jones culpable for failing to keep an accurate cattle identification system and veterinary medicine records, which are both critical to ensuring the integrity and safety of the food chain.
The prosecution was successfully brought before the Caernarfon Crown Court, which sits at Llandudno, by the Anglesey County Council’s Animal Health team on October 3.
The court served Jones a 12-month prison sentence, which was suspended for 18 months, for his crimes against his livestock, alongside a requirement to complete 120 hours of community service and 16 months of rehabilitation.
£8,000 in costs were also awarded to Anglesey County Council, for prosecuting Jones.
Speaking about the sentencing of Jones, Anglesey’s public protection portfolio holder, councillor Nicola Roberts, said:
“We welcome the penalty handed down today. This sentence comes following an extensive investigation conducted by our Animal Health officers.
“We believe that this prosecution and sentence demonstrates that this type of criminal behaviour will not be tolerated.”
Anglesey Council also thanked Animal Plant Health Agency (APHA) veterinary colleagues for their assistance in this investigation.
Meanwhile, an 85-year-old Welsh farmer has received a six-month sentence, which was suspended for a year, after she pleaded guilty to being culpable of several acts of animal abuse in Llandrindod Wells Magistrates Court in on Wednesday, September 25.
