Fine for Leamington tenant farmer who caused unnecessary suffering to Livestock
A tenant farmer has been found guilty of causing unnecessary suffering to his livestock following a successful prosecution by Warwickshire County Council’s Trading Standards Service.
Mr Ewan Wells caused unnecessary suffering to one of his cows, failed to provide some of his cattle with suitable clean drinking water and failed to record their deaths, movements or medicinal treatments.
At Leamington Spa Magistrates Court on Friday 15th April 2011, Ewan Wells (Dob: 24/07/1958) of Bridge Farm, Main St. Hunningham near Leamington Spa pleaded not guilty to eleven animal health offences and was found guilty on ten charges and not guilty on one charge.
The judge in the case commented that in relation to some of the charges the defendant had tried to deny the undeniable and defend the indefensible that it had not helped his case that there had been no acknowledgement of his wrongdoing.
Mr Wells was fined and ordered to pay costs totalling £3,850.
Problems at the farm, which Mr Wells rents from Warwickshire County Council, became apparent following a series of visits by Trading Standards Animal Health Officers and DEFRA Animal Health Veterinary Officers in 2009.
Trading Standards Officers found a cow on his farm that was lame and suffering and that in the opinion of a vet should be destroyed. However, the farmer failed to take adequate steps to have the animal humanely destroyed quickly or to seek further advice from his private vet.
Some calves were found to be held in pens where their water troughs contained water which was contaminated with black rotting straw, muck and other material which was producing an unpleasant sewer like smell.
Officers also discovered that Mr Wells had not been properly recording the deaths or movements of his cattle, rules necessary to prevent older cattle (which could harbour BSE) from entering the human food chain and posing a risk to human health.
He had also failed to record the medicines he had administered to his cattle, leading to the possibility that livestock with medicine still in them could enter the human food chain, again, a potential danger to human health.
Mark Ryder, Head of Warwickshire County Council Trading Standards Service said:
““Our Animal Health Officers work closely with farmers and smallholders, often over many years, to help ensure that their livestock is properly cared for, that the risk of disease spread is reduced and the human food chain is protected.
However, when farmers fail to heed the advice and information we give them and do not take their responsibilities seriously, legal action may be necessary.
Trading Standards Animal Health Officers will continue to carry on their important role to protect the health and welfare of livestock and in doing so protect human health.”