Farmer jailed over treatment of cattle

A FARMER was given a 10-month jail sentence for the “callous and cruel” treatment of his cattle which were not fed or cared for properly.

Michael McCarthy, of Dungourney, Midleton, Co Cork, was found guilty at on two charges of failing to ensure welfare of an animal and of failing to dispose properly of a dead animal.

Summing up, Midleton District Court Judge Michael Patwell said the case was “very distressing”.

“I don’t know how somebody could be so callous as to leave an animal dying on their feet. They had to be bawling for food, that is the nature of the beast and to ignore that is callous and cruel and deserves punishment.”

Mr McCarthy, who sat expressionless for most of the hearing, was described by his counsel as a family man who had farmed since 1989 but who had become depressed in recent times due to serious family issues.

Representing the farmer, Don Ryan said Mr McCarthy had sought medical help for depression and was “doing his best”.

Giving evidence, Department of Agriculture inspector, George Lane, said Mr McCarthy had been known to him for several years as he been trying to get him to tag animals, feed them and sell them.

He said he had visited Mr McCarthy’s 70-acre farm at Condonstown 26 times during 2009, but that they were “fruitless” visits.

“Sometimes he was not there, other times he was but he would not open the door,” he said.

“We wrote to him and made appointments, he said the neighbours dog was eating his mail.”

Mr Lane said while he had sympathy for the man’s family issues, he had nonetheless been offered the full support and services of the state to rectify what had gone wrong on his farm.

“Nobody has done more for him in Cork than me,” Mr Lane said. “But those cattle did not deserve what they got.”

According to Mr Lane’s evidence, the situation came to a head between Christmas and March 2011.

“At Christmas there were visits to the farm to make sure the cattle were being fed. We ended up feeding them ourselves and we could see no one had left the house in days because there were no footprints in the snow,” he told the court.

On January 11, a dead animal was discovered at the farm. When Mr Lane returned in March, the carcass was still at the farm but was found hidden under sheets.

Other animals on the farm were also in very poor condition.

“They had eye sores and were up to their oxters in muck,” Mr Lane said.

“Some were almost skeletal and at this stage the special investigation unit was called in and 29 were deemed to be unfit. Another animal was found with no food, no water and in a field on her own.”

Mr Lane presented pictures to Judge Patwell, who said he was shocked by what he saw.

Speaking for his client, counsel said the farmer had enlisted the help of a local Teagasc agent, who had drawn up a plan for the farm going forward. He said his client was not a bad man and had tried to get rid of the dead animal. He said the last Mr McCarthy had ever wanted to do was cause his cattle distress.

Mr McCarthy has five previous convictions including welfare offences and criminal damage.

Handing down the sentence, Judge Patwell said if he could make an order that the man never be allowed to have cattle again, he would.