A farmer has been banned from keeping live stock after allowing his animals to waste away in poor conditions and leaving dead sheep and lambs in a plastic container.
Ricardo James, 42, of Bale Road, Leicester, was sentenced on Wednesday, October 6 at Leicester Magistrate's court after failing to rectify any of the serious issues regarding animal welfare on his farm.
According to Leicester Live, Leicestershire Trading Standards Animal Health Team officers and the Animal and Plant Health Agency (APHA) identified several areas of concern during a visit to James Farms in Keyham Lane East, Scraftoft on November 3, 2020.
A number of dead sheep and lambs were discovered rotting in a blue plastic tub on the premises, which also houses around 20 other sheep, seven cattle, around 13 goats, 20 pigs and 12 geese.
Mr James was warned and advised fix six issues which the inspectors had classed as 'requiring improvement'.
But animal health team officers and APHA veterinarian then found the standards in which animals were being kept had "rapidly deteriorated" in several areas when they revisited the site on November 13.
"Of the six points of requiring improvement, only one had been acted upon," a spokesperson for the county council said.
Mr James was then charged with ten different offences, which included:
- Failing to dispose of livestock animal carcasses without undue delay
- Two charges of failing to ensure the needs of the animals were met
- Failing to provide pigs with continuous access to fresh drinking water.
- Failing to provide livestock with buildings which could be thoroughly cleaned and disinfected
- Failing to provide pigs with accommodation with a covered floor
- Not providing a suitable environment to five cattle which had a poor body condition.
- Not providing a suitable diet to five cattle with a poor body condition
- Not protecting five cattle with a poor body condition from pain, suffering, injury and disease.
- Failing to provide a sufficient number of skilled staff
The 42-year-old pleaded guilty to all 10 related offences and was sentenced to 12 weeks in custody, suspended for 12 months.
Mr James was also handed a life disqualification from keeping and dealing in farmed animals, which in accordance with the law will be suspended for a 21-day period to allow the animals to be removed.
As part of his sentence, Mr James will not be able to appeal for his disqualification to be lifted for five years.
He was also ordered to pay a victim surcharge of £128 and contribute £500 towards the prosecution's costs. The Leicestershire County Council Trading Standards Service accepted a collection order of £75 per month with the first payment within 28 days.
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