A Worcestershire man who kept sheep in “appalling conditions” has been banned by magistrates from keeping livestock for five years.
Nathan Hollis, who gave his address as 6 Harvest Close, Stoke Heath, Bromsgrove, pleaded guilty to four offences at Worcester Magistrates Court, including causing unnecessary suffering to three sheep under the Animal Welfare Act 2006.
As well as this, he pleaded guilty to a number of offences under the Animal By-Product Regulations 2013, including failing to prevent other animals having access to carcasses, failing to dispose of carcasses without undue delay and failing to dispose of sheep carcasses in a manner prescribed in law.
Hollis was given a 12-month community order with 270 hours of unpaid work and was ordered to pay £6,448.96 costs and a £114 victim surcharge.
The Worcestershire man also received a banning order preventing him from any involvement with livestock for five years.
Animal health officers from Worcestershire County Council’s Trading Standards visited land off Withybed Lane, Inkberrow, where animals were found with maggot infestations so bad that their skin was “effectively decaying”, rendering them unable to get up.
Alongside vets from the Animal Plant Health Agency (APHA) and an RSPCA inspector with “flystrike,” further inspection of the land around the flock revealed several carcasses in various states of decay.
There was also a bonfire where there had been attempts to illegally dispose of some sheep carcasses in the same field.
‘Shocking case of suffering’
Head of Worcestershire Regulatory Services, Simon Wilkes, said: “This was a shocking case of causing animal suffering. I’d like to thank our officers and their colleagues in other agencies for supporting us to bring this matter to court.
“The keeping of livestock requires a significant commitment of time and there is a lot that needs to be understood to do this safely and successfully.
“Keepers have a duty of care to treat animals adequately; where animals die, they must deal with the situation correctly and in a timely manner to minimise the risk of the spread of diseases.”
Wilkes said following best practices does not just prevent disease from spreading within one farm, it also prevents it from spreading to other farms and helps to protect the food chain.
“The law is there to protect animals, farmers, and consumers alike. This case serves as a timely reminder to anyone considering keeping livestock animals.”
Veterinary head for field delivery western region for APHA, David Collins, said: “I welcome the outcome of this case and hope it will act as a clear reminder to others of the importance of adhering to animal welfare legislation, which is there to protect animals from this kind of treatment.
“This case demonstrates how our robust enforcement and close work with local authorities can bring those guilty of breaches of animal health and welfare legislation to justice.
“APHA takes potential breaches of animal health and welfare legislation very seriously and will continue to investigate all allegations.”
