Animal abuse term for farmer in slurry attack

A farmer who tipped manure onto a health inspector's car has been jailed for keeping animals in appalling conditions.

Inspectors found a catalogue of horrors when they visited Harry Sutcliffe's Yorkshire farm, including dead piglets, filthy accommodation, pigs coated in faeces, floors covered in slurry and contaminated water troughs

During one visit by Bradford Council's senior animal health inspector Andrew Measey, Sutcliffe poured manure over his car, Bradford Magistrates Court heard yesterday.

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Sutcliffe, 53, of Cow House Farm, Bingley Road, Cullingworth, had earlier admitted 25 offences against animal welfare - mostly involving pigs.

Yesterday he was sentenced to 14 weeks in prison for animal cruelty and four weeks for all other matters to run concurrently.

Emma Downing, prosecuting, said that when the inspectors attended they noticed the pigs that were still alive were very thin.

The "small" amount of medicine found at the farm was "exceptionally dirty".

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Around 70 cattle were being kept at the farm but Sutcliffe claimed they were not his and they were merely "wintering" there.

The court heard that Davina Gray, of the Animal Health Agency, said it was one of the worst scenes she had inspected.

Defending Sutcliffe, Keith Blackwell said his client, who once threatened to fire his muck spreader at a bank, had faced many problems over recent years.

He said Sutcliffe, who hires out a stretch limousine and also claims Disability Living Allowance, has had difficulty with debt and suffered from depression.

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District Judge Susan Bouch said there was no doubt in her mind that it was a case of "prolonged neglect".

Sutcliffe was also disqualified for five years from owning and keeping animals and he cannot challenge the ban for 12 months.

In January, 2008, he admitted criminal damage in respect of pouring manure on Mr Measey's car and at that time was given a conditional discharge.

After yesterday's hearing, Bradford Council's principal environmental health manager David Clapham said: "The sentence of the court reflects the severity of offences committed by Mr Sutcliffe in relation to animal cruelty and the totally inadequate welfare on his farm."