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A judge has upheld a seven year ban on keeping sheep against a farmer who subjected animals to ‘prolonged ill treatment by neglect’.
David Ford, from Cornwall, had been prosecuted in connection with a number of animal welfare breaches by Cornwall Council. Following trial, he was convicted of failing to appropriately or adequately treat a severely injured sheep and failing to investigate the reasons for the poor body condition of 47 sheep.
Despite the appeal at Plymouth Crown Court, His Honour Judge Paul Darlow upheld the seven year ban.
He also sentenced Ford to 20 weeks’ custody (suspended for two years).
According to Judge Darlow, Mr Ford had caused his sheep ‘prolonged ill treatment by neglect’. The judge added that Ford had shown no remorse, or ‘willingness to learn from the advice provided by visiting officers’.
After the hearing, Senior Trading Standards Officer at Cornwall Council Andrew Burnside, said: “A lamb with severely injured hind legs was not treated by a vet, pigs had only mud to drink, sick cattle had no bedding, and pigs were being fed in their own faeces.
“Mr Ford had previously been given advice on how to rectify the welfare issues found, but failed to provide for the most basic needs of his animals.”
