A Staffordshire livestock farmer has been handed a suspended jail sentence after serious animal welfare breaches were found at her Midland farm.
Jennifer Bennett, 30, of Brookside View, Hodge Lane, Birchcross, Uttoxeter, appeared before Newcastle Magistrates' Court on Thursday 30 July. She was sentenced to 14 weeks imprisonment, suspended for 12 months, alongside 12 months of community service. Additionally, she was ordered to pay � 1,000 in costs plus a � 154 victim surcharge, and received a ten-year ban on keeping animals.
The case came to light after an unannounced inspection by Staffordshire County Council’s Trading Standards Animal Health Team on 25 March last year. Inspectors discovered numerous cattle in a severely poor condition, including some dead animals and others so malnourished they were unable to stand. A lack of adequate access to food and water was also evident, along with calves housed in filthy conditions.
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Close to 100 cattle were removed from the premises to stop further suffering. Many required extensive veterinary treatment, while some were so badly affected they had to be euthanised.
District Judge O’Connor stated in court: “Jennifer Bennett is the person responsible for the welfare of the animals as the legal owner and there was a significant period of neglect which led to disease and death.”
“The suffering uncovered in this case was significant and required immediate action to protect the animals involved.”
Anthony Screen, Cabinet Member for Community Safety and Resilience at Staffordshire County Council, commented: “This is another incredibly distressing animal welfare case our Trading Standards officers have had to deal with. We take animal welfare extremely seriously and will not hesitate to pursue robust enforcement action where standards fall below the law.”
Further investigation revealed potential breaches relating to cattle identification and animal by-products legislation.
Ms Bennett’s father, Alan Bennett, who held day-to-day responsibility for the cattle’s care, is scheduled to be sentenced at Stafford Crown Court in a separate hearing.