A Scottish farmer has been banned from keeping animals for 10 years after he admitted causing unnecessary suffering to cattle and sheep.
George Pattullo, 67, was sentenced at Forfar Sheriff Court on Thursday (13 June) after inspectors found more than 50 decomposing sheep carcasses in his field.
The offences are said to have been committed between December 2012 and April 2013.
Sheriff Gregor Murray told Pattullo that society 'expects a high quality of animal husbandry'.
He said: "Those expectations have been set in parliament by the Act under which you have pled guilty. This constitutes a flagrant, very serious breach of those provisions.
"Had it not been for the fact that the maximum custodial sentence would be six months, I would have had no hesitation to impose one.
"But with the likelihood of that being reduced to three months that is an inappropriate penalty for the scale of what you have breached.
"As a direct alternative to custody, I will impose a disqualification order for a period of 10 years.
"I will also make an order you may not make an application for the termination of that order for a minimum of three years."
Mr Patullo admitted causing unnecessary suffering to 19 cattle, two of which were found decomposing in a shed, and approximately 250 sheep over the 16-month period.
Other charges included failing to provide adequate supplies of nutrition and water, failing to provide dry bedding and a drained area over the same dates, and failing to provide adequate grazing, a suitable diet, and fresh water.
