A farmer who emptied his cattle avoided jail but was given a ten-year farming ban after a veterinary inspector found animals in various stages of decomposition on his farm in Dunmanway, County Cork.
Defense lawyer Alan O’Dwyer told Cork Circuit Criminal Court that his client Trevor Deane of Lettergorman, Dunmanway, Co Cork was “deeply embarrassed” by the “deplorable” conditions on his farm.
Veterinary inspector Michael Kelleher told Judge Helen Boyle that he attended Dunmanway Farm on February 2, 2021.
When he entered the first shed, he found nine dead animals in various stages of decomposition. One of the animals had “recently died.” The others appeared to have been dead for several months.
Mr. Kelleher went into the second shed where he found seven dead animals. Again, some had recently died, while others had been dead for several months. There was no water available for the animals in any of the sheds.
When he went to a field near the shed, he found two corpses. He also discovered two calves in “dirty” conditions in a pen, and later found more bovial skeletal remains in the yard.
Mr. Kelleher said that he talked to Deane about the neglect. He ordered him to provide the animals with water.
“There was unnecessary suffering to the animals by the lack of water. Regarding the water he said the well was contaminated,” reports RTE.
Kelleher said he told Deane, 38, that the situation at the farm was unacceptable. The court heard that Deane also had a team of nurses at Coppeen in West Cork. There were no animal welfare problems on the second farm.
Mr. Kelleher said that Deane had 90 pets at one time. The veterinary inspector returned to Dunmanway Farm on February 4, 2021 to find that there was still no water available for the farm animals.
He too returned to the farm on June 22, 2021. At this time there have been no animal welfare issues.
However, when Mr. Kelleher returned to the farm on March 7 of this year, he found an emaciated cow that could not stand. Even the calves on the farm were not branded.
He returned on May 6 of this year and found that the untagged animals had not yet been registered. He discovered the carcasses of three calves on the farm and there was no water available for the animals.
Since then, Deane has reduced supplies and hopes to leave his homeland. He is no longer involved in any breeding. Kelleher said that he believed that Deane should not be allowed to keep cattle.
O’Dwyer said Deane was experiencing a number of personal problems and complications at the time of the crimes.
“There was an element of putting his head in the sand. He had huge personal tragedies in the family. 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,” he said, reports RTE.
Deane had pleaded guilty to two charges related to abandoning cattle and failing to provide adequate drinking water.
Deane admitted that he did not provide enough clean, uncontaminated drinking water to the cattle under his control.
On February 4, 2021, he also pleaded guilty to negligence or recklessness in matters of livestock health.
The court heard that Deane had previously been convicted of assault. Judge Boyle said Deane had fallen “woefully short” on animal care.
“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, reports RTE.
Ge pointed to the guilty plea in the case and the fact that Deane had voluntarily reduced the stock. Given his family’s difficulties, Judge Boyle gave Deane a two-year suspended sentence and prohibited him from raising cattle for a period of ten years.
She also fined the farmer €750.
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