Farmer who left herd dying in shed jailed
Friday, February 27, 2009, 09:30A farmer has been jailed for leaving his cows dying in a shed with little water or food.
The entire 35-strong herd belonging to Nigel Hubbard had to be put down after the animals were found to be wasting away – some losing hair and covered in sores – in a hot cattle shed.
Many of the animals were so malnourished they were unable to stand up when they were discovered by RSPCA officers.
Hubbard (52), of Ivy Stud Farm, Eaton, near Melton, was jailed for 10 weeks at Melton Magistrates’ Court yesterday after pleading guilty to eight counts of causing unnecessary suffering to animals.
He was disqualified from keeping farm animals for five years.
EUnder the Animal Welfare Act 2006, the maximum penalty for the offence is 51 weeks’ imprisonment and a £20,000 fine.
Prosecutor Gulshanah Choudhuri told the court Leicestershire Trading Standards officers visited the farm in June and found the animals shut in a shed with no hay to lie on.
Many were very thin and showed signs of malnutrition. Others had collapsed in the bright sunshine and were badly dehydrated.
She said: "There were several visits and several warnings.
"In interview, Mr Hubbard blamed a letter he received saying he wasn’t allowed to put the animals outside because of TB restrictions.
"He was told that wasn’t the case and even if it was that was no reason for not feeding the animals.
"He stated he was not in the right frame of mind to notice that things had gone so wrong."
Ben Ellis, representing Hubbard, said his client, who had lived on the farm all his life, had suffered several tragedies over recent years that had made him depressed.
He said: "After the foot-and-mouth outbreak in 2001, he suffered the tragic death of his father-in-law, who was mutilated by farm machinery. In 2002, Mr Hubbard broke his pelvis and the following year his wife left him.
"These factors combined have caused a chronic depressive illness.
"He is very ashamed and deeply regrets what has happened. He wasn’t able to cope with looking after farm animals and he still isn’t."
Mr Ellis said Hubbard had tried to feed the cows and had gone round with a bucket of water, but admitted this had not been enough.
Hubbard is the first person in Leicestershire to be jailed under the Act.
In November, another farmer from the Melton area pleaded guilty to a number of welfare offences.
Because of his mental state, he received a ban from keeping farm animals and an order to pay court costs.
