Cruelty charges see farmer banned

Apr 1 2008 by Steve Dube, Western Mail

FARMER Arfon Jones was yesterday banned from keeping cattle, sheep and pigs for an indefinite period after pleading guilty to 13 specimen charges relating to cruelty to animals, failure to dispose of animal carcasses, failure to apply identity tags to cattle and failure to notify the authorities of the death of cattle.

The ban will come into effect on July 1 to allow him three months to dispose of the 80 cattle and 400 sheep which he currently owns.

He was also sentenced to eight months imprisonment by Judge Merfyn Hughes Q.C at Caernarfon Crown Court, the sentence being suspended for 12 months.

Mr Jones of Llystyn Gwyn, Bryncir, Gaerndolbenmaen, Gwynedd pleaded guilty to specimen charges brought by the Gwynedd Council’s Trading Standards Unit under the Protection of Animals Act 1911, the Animal Welfare Act 2006, the Cattle Identifications Regulations 2007 and the Animal By-Products (Wales) Regulations 2003.

The case arose from complaints about undisposed carcasses on Mr Jones’ land. Officers from Gwynedd Council Trading Standards Unit, assisted by colleagues from the Animal Health Agency and the Police, visited the farm on eight occasions between February and June 2007 and discovered numerous carcasses of animals which had died on the farm and examples of cruelty which had been caused to animals through Mr Jones’ neglect.

On one occasion, an Animal Health Veterinary Officer had to remove part of a ram’s horn which was ingrowing into the skull of the animal.

John Reynolds, public protection manager with responsibility for Gwynedd Council’s Trading Standards said, “This case follows a prosecution of Mr Jones for similar offences taken by the council in 2006.

“On that occasion the court decided not to grant the council’s application that Mr Jones be banned from keeping animals but I am grateful that this time Mr Jones has been banned for an indefinite period as this was one of the worst cases of neglect that we have ever faced.”