10 year livestock ban on Saintfield farmers after case

10 year livestock ban on Saintfield farmers after case

28 January 2015

TWO Saintfield farmers have been banned from keeping livestock and other animals for 10 years after admitting a string of animal welfare charges.

A judge told 80 year-old Stanley Porter and his son, Stanley G. Porter (44), that the condition of cattle on their Ballycloughan Road farm was “absolutely frightening.”

As well as banning them from keeping animals District Judge Greg McCourt ordered the removal of all remaining cattle from the farm.

The pair, who both live at the farm, appeared at Downpatrick Court on Monday and admitted three counts of causing unnecessary suffering to animals and three counts of failing to take reasonable steps to ensure the needs of the animals were being met.

They both also pleaded guilty to three counts of failing to comply with animal by-product requirements by failing to properly isolate an animal carcass from other animals and one count of failing to produce medicine records for livestock when required to do so.

A prosecution lawyer told the court that inspectors visited the farm numerous times in 2013 and saw a variety of problems, including cattle kept without food and water, cattle stuck in enclosures with “sharp rusty metal protrusions” and animals kept in areas covered with dung.

On each visit, inspectors saw cattle with various health problems, such as illness, thinness and lacking teeth. They also located dead animal carcasses on the premises on a number of occasions that had not been properly disposed of.

Defence barrister Ms. Lauren Cheshire said both men had worked as farmers for their entire adult lives and that these offences were not caused by “deliberate cruelty.”

“They are aware the state their cattle is being kept in is sub-optimal,” she said.

But Mr. McCourt was scathing in his comments which he directed at the two farmers.

“There is a serious, serious total neglect of these animals since 2012,” District Judge Mr. Greg McCourt said. “The photographs are absolutely frightening to see cattle [kept] in this way.”

Mr. McCourt commended the inspectors for bringing this matter to court and for carrying out inspections.

“Farmers in Northern Ireland have a very good name across the world,” he said, adding that this is due to the many farmers who take very good care of their animals and the animal welfare inspectors who do their jobs well.

“These two men have absolutely flown in the face of all advice. There is no excuse for this whatsoever.”

The sentencing in the matter was adjourned to February 23 to allow pre-sentence reports to be prepared.