ANIMAL FORUM

>http://www.eadt.co.uk/content/eadt/news/story.aspx?brandęDOnline&category=News&tBrandęDOnline&tCategory=news&itemid=IPED19%20Dec%202006%2021%3A42%3A50%3A973
>
>Pig farmer punished for cruelty
>
>20 December 2006 | 08:25
>
>
>WILL GRAHAME-CLARKE
>A PIG farmer has been told to carry out 240 hours of community service after
>welfare inspectors found six of his animals dead and dying in deep slurry.
>
>Richard Read, 52, of Decoy Farm in Sedge Fen near Lakenheath, pleaded guilty
>to six counts of cruelty and one of neglect, sentencing magistrates at Bury
>St Edmunds heard yesterday.
>
>Hayley Saunders, prosecuting for the RSPCA, described a scene in which six
>animals had been abandoned for period of three weeks or possibly more.
>
>RSPCA officer David Podmore was called to Reads farm on March 15 where he
>was met by the defendants wife who escorted him to some pigs, Miss Saunders
>told the court.
>
>After seeing a few animals, which were described as lean and of
>reasonable condition, Mr Podmore then saw a further barn and he went to
>investigate.
>
>The door had been wedged shut with a pile of potatoes but inside this barn
>and another he found six pigs.
>
>Three pigs were so thin their hips, ribs and backbones showed and one of
>them was loosing its skin under its belly because of the squalid conditions.
>
>Three other pigs were found already perished in the mud - one was found to
>have suffocated on slurry.
>
>Miss Saunders, said: There was no bedding and there was thick layer of
>slurry several inches deep all over the floor.
>
>There was a third pig further inside but it was difficult to tell it was a
>pig at all it was so buried in the slurry.
>
>When Mr Podmore met Read, who was responsible for the animals, the farmer
>said the animals had been suffering from pneumonia, which he said accounted
>for their poor condition.
>
>Read said he had quarantined the six pigs but under questioning from the
>RSPCA he confirmed he had not considered calling a vet but had been treating
>the infection himself.
>
>Kieron Dumphy, mitigating for Read, said: This whole affair has affected Mr
>Reads family. At the first available opportunity he has pleaded guilty and
>given his full cooperation to the RSPCA.
>
>Mr Dumphy added: He is a man of good character who comes to court with a
>great shame and remorse of how those pigs were treated.
>
>He has grown up caring for animals and he has cared for pigs for most of
>his life. And he accepts full responsibility; he simply didnt have the
>presence of mind to call a vet.
>
>Mr Dumphy also submitted letters vouching for Reads good character as well
>as a letter from his GP showing that Read had suffered depression following
>the prosecution.
>
>Magistrates ordered Read to pay just over Ł1,500 in costs to the RSPCA and
>in addition to his community service order he was banned from keeping pigs
>for life.
>

> On Wed, 20 Dec 2006 10:04:12 -0000, Pat Gardiner
> wrote:
>
>>http://www.eadt.co.uk/content/eadt/news/story.aspx?brandęDOnline&category=News&tBrandęDOnline&tCategory=news&itemid=IPED19%20Dec%202006%2021%3A42%3A50%3A973
>>
>>Pig farmer punished for cruelty
>>
>>20 December 2006 | 08:25
>>
>>
>>WILL GRAHAME-CLARKE
>>A PIG farmer has been told to carry out 240 hours of community service after
>>welfare inspectors found six of his animals dead and dying in deep slurry.
>>
>>Richard Read, 52, of Decoy Farm in Sedge Fen near Lakenheath, pleaded guilty
>>to six counts of cruelty and one of neglect, sentencing magistrates at Bury
>>St Edmunds heard yesterday.
>>
>>Hayley Saunders, prosecuting for the RSPCA, described a scene in which six
>>animals had been abandoned for period of three weeks or possibly more.
>>
>>RSPCA officer David Podmore was called to Reads farm on March 15 where he
>>was met by the defendants wife who escorted him to some pigs, Miss Saunders
>>told the court.
>>
>>After seeing a few animals, which were described as lean and of
>>reasonable condition, Mr Podmore then saw a further barn and he went to
>>investigate.
>>
>>The door had been wedged shut with a pile of potatoes but inside this barn
>>and another he found six pigs.
>>
>>Three pigs were so thin their hips, ribs and backbones showed and one of
>>them was loosing its skin under its belly because of the squalid conditions.
>>
>>Three other pigs were found already perished in the mud - one was found to
>>have suffocated on slurry.
>>
>>Miss Saunders, said: There was no bedding and there was thick layer of
>>slurry several inches deep all over the floor.
>>
>>There was a third pig further inside but it was difficult to tell it was a
>>pig at all it was so buried in the slurry.
>>
>>When Mr Podmore met Read, who was responsible for the animals, the farmer
>>said the animals had been suffering from pneumonia, which he said accounted
>>for their poor condition.
>>
>>Read said he had quarantined the six pigs but under questioning from the
>>RSPCA he confirmed he had not considered calling a vet but had been treating
>>the infection himself.
>>
>>Kieron Dumphy, mitigating for Read, said: This whole affair has affected Mr
>>Reads family. At the first available opportunity he has pleaded guilty and
>>given his full cooperation to the RSPCA.
>>
>>Mr Dumphy added: He is a man of good character who comes to court with a
>>great shame and remorse of how those pigs were treated.
>>
>>He has grown up caring for animals and he has cared for pigs for most of
>>his life. And he accepts full responsibility; he simply didnt have the
>>presence of mind to call a vet.
>>
>>Mr Dumphy also submitted letters vouching for Reads good character as well
>>as a letter from his GP showing that Read had suffered depression following
>>the prosecution.
>>
>>Magistrates ordered Read to pay just over