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Ref: 199/08 23 June 2008
Farmer Jailed After Court Hears Of ‘Gothic’ Horror On Cheshire Farm
Trading Standards and Defra Officers raiding a Cheshire Farm discovered a horrific scene of ‘truly gothic proportions.’
The raid on November 7, 2006, at Chorlton House Farm at Backford, Near Chester, was mounted as a result of information received from worried farm workers.
Shocked officers discovered a herd of 500 cattle – twice the number the farm was capable of sustaining - ‘many in terribly poor condition, some almost dead on their feet.’
Several - one lying in a prone condition with crows pecking at it - were so bad that they had to be immediately put down.
The complete herd was later seized and although Dobbin was granted leave to seek judicial review of Defra’s action he was unable to stop the humane destruction of the cattle.
Further investigation revealed a grisly burial pit which had been used to illegally dispose of the limbs and carcases of cows said to have died at a rate of five a week on the overcrowded farm.
The pit, which emitted a ‘pungent stench‘ posed a risk to public health and had concerned one worker so much that he had taken videos of himself burying animals as proof.
Farmer David Dobbin, 46, who subsequently claimed that Trading standards and Defra had carried out a ‘witch-hunt‘ against him- was jailed for four months and banned from keeping any animal for ten years.
His former partner, Susan Lofthouse, 36, sentenced to four months imprisonment – but suspended for a year - and a 150-hour community service order.
Both had pleaded guilty to inappropriate disposal of bovine carcases; four specimen counts of animal cruelty and asked for 50 counts of failing to keep proper cattle movement records to be taken into account.
They also jointly admitted six specimen counts under the Trade Description Act of "clocking" cattle by switching identification ear tags - some from dead cows - and four of selling such ‘worthless' cattle to other farmers.
Mr. Peter Moss (Prosecuting) told the court that strict animal identification regulations introduced by Defra following mad cow disease demand that all cattle have individual passports and registered ear tag identification numbers - a system enabled their safe introduction into the food chain.
Farm workers who had been instructed to cut the ear tags off the cattle that had died and give them to Lofthouse who kept them in a kitchen drawer. Seven pairs of animals had been found to have identical ear tag markings.
"The Defendants had been re-tagging unregistered cattle with the identities of either dead stock or run-down livestock and selling them to unsuspecting purchasers" said Mr. Moss.
Mr. Arthur Gibson, for Dobbin said that his client had had too many cattle without the resources to look after them properly. He had admitted offences committed not out of greed but as a way of attempting to repay his considerable debt to the finance company.
Sentencing, Judge Thomas Teague told the defendants that they had pleaded guilty to very serious offences but he had taken into account the fact that their guilty pleas had saved the considerable time and expense of a trial.
Vanessa Griffiths, Cheshire Trading Standards Head of Operations said later that the outcome had fully vindicated the action by the county’s animal welfare officers.
"Mr. Dobbin’s allegations of a witch-hunt against him by ourselves and Defra were nothing more than a flagrant and calculated attempt to prevent the truth emerging" she said.
"Sadly, he showed scant regard for regulations to protect public health and even less consideration for the suffering of his animals."
Added Mrs.Griffiths "Strict regulations governing cattle identification were introduced in the wake of the potentially fatal mad cow disease. They are not a bureaucratic whim to be ignored or deliberately flouted.
"Our actions were taken both to protect the public and also prevent further cruelty to animals and the ban imposed today by the court will help achieve both those aims."
Ends
For Further Information Please Contact Vanessa Griffiths Head Of Operations, Cheshire Trading Standards on 01244 973987 or Ian Callister, Media Relations Manager on 01244 972216. |