A DUNMANWAY farmer has been banned from owning live stock and has narrowly avoided jail following his conviction for animal neglect.
Judge Helen Boyle was told that Trevor Deane (38) of Lettergorman, Dunmanway, was ‘deeply ashamed’ at what veterinary officials described as ‘deplorable conditions’ when they inspected his farm in February 2021.
Veterinary inspector Michael Kelleher said that when he went to Mr Deane’s farm he found nine dead animals in various stages of decomposition and one of the animals was ‘recently dead.’
The other corpses appeared to have been deceased for a number of months.
In another shed Mr Kelleher discovered seven dead animals. Again, some were recently dead while others had been dead for a number of months. No water was available to the animals in either shed.
When he went to a field beside the shed he found two more carcasses. He also discovered two calves in ‘filthy’ conditions in a pen, while out in the yard he found further skeletal remains. Mr Kelleher said that he spoke to Mr Deane about the neglect and told him to provide water to the animals. The court also heard that Deane had a suckler herd in Coppeen and that there was no issue with animal welfare on this second farm.
When the inspector returned to the farm in Dunmanway later that month he found that there was still no water available to animals.
However, when Mr Kelleher returned to the farm on June 22nd 2021 he reported that there were no animal welfare concerns at this time.
But this was not the case when he went back to the farm on March 7th of this year when he found an emaciated cow who was unable to stand as well as untagged calves.
These animals were still untagged on May 6th and had not been registered. At this time he then discovered the carcasses of three calves and no water available to the animals.
Mr Kelleher said that in his opinion Mr Deane should not be allowed to keep livestock.
The court was told that at the time of the offences Mr Deane was experiencing a number of personal issues and complications.
‘There was an element of putting his head in the sand. He had huge personal tragedies in the family,’ defence barrister Alan O’Dwyer said.
‘There is no excuse. He is ashamed and apologetic. He is hoping to let out the land and is not involved in any kind of husbandry.’
Mr Deane had pleaded guilty to two charges involving the neglect of cattle and failing to give them enough clean drinking water.
He admitted that he failed to provide a sufficient quantity of wholesome uncontaminated drinking water to bovine animals under his control.
He also pleaded guilty to neglecting or being reckless regarding the health of bovine animals on February 4, 2021.
Judge Boyle said that Mr Deane had fallen ‘woefully short’ in the care of the animals. ‘You failed to provide water which is fundamental to the survival of all animals. You caused needless suffering to animals you were responsible for,’ Judge Boyle said.
She noted the guilty plea in the case and the fact that Deane had voluntarily de-stocked. Taking his family difficulties into consideration Judge Boyle imposed a two-year suspended sentence and banned him from keeping livestock for a period of 10 years and fined him €750.
