Kerry farmer jailed for ‘most serious animal cruelty’ judge has ever encountered

A 63-year-old farmer has been sentenced to five months in jail and banned from ever keeping cattle again after a judge found him guilty of what he said was the worst case of animal cruelty he had ever encountered that left a cow staggering in pain after the animal lost one of its legs.

John C Casey, otherwise known as Christy Casey, of Crosstown in Killarney, Co Kerry, had been convicted in April by Judge David Waters of 10 offences at Killarney District Court following an investigation by a team of Dept of Agriculture officials, headed up by vet Louis Rearden.

Casey had not attended the original hearing due to a mix-up over dates, but he was in court on Tuesday to hear Judge Waters strongly condemn his treatment of the injured animal as well as his failure to adhere to a series of Department of Agriculture regulations regarding the moving and tracking of animals.

Judge Water recalled a video of the injured animal that clearly showed it with part of one of its hind legs missing and bone protruding. The animal was staggering in pain and Mr Rearden testified that he thought the animal may have been in that state of distress for two months.

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“I saw the video of the animal hobbling about with part of its leg missing and in serious distress,” he said. “In all my time dealing with cases of animal cruelty, nothing approaches this. There was a complete disregard for the animal’s welfare. It’s the most serious case of cruelty I have ever come across,” he said.

Judge Waters found Casey guilty of causing unnecessary suffering to a one-year-old Aberdeen Angus cross at rented lands at Corbally, Killorglin, on dates between November 19th, 2018, and May 17th, 2019, contrary to section 12 of the Animal Health and Welfare Act 2013.

He also found Casey guilty of being in possession of the carcass of a dead cow at rented lands at Corbally, Killorglin, on May 17th, 2019, in breach of Regulation 3 of the European Union (Animal By-Products) Regulations 2014.

In addition he found Casey guilty of other offences regarding the movement of cattle, including that he failed to notify the Department of Agriculture of the death of an animal within seven days, contrary to Animal Health and Welfare (Bovine Movement) Regulations 2014.

On Tuesday, Mr Rearden told how he and department colleagues visited Casey’s rented farm near Killorglin and found the injured animal in considerable pain and, together with fellow vets John McConville and Peter Byrne, they decided the animal should be euthanised.

Casey objected so they called a local independent vet, Owen Mangan, who agreed with them that the animal was in such pain and in such poor condition with no hope of recovery and so the only option was for the animal to be euthanised, which they did despite Casey’s protests.

Mr Rearden said he also got a very strong smell of putrefaction almost 30m from a trailer and, when he approached it, he found the carcass of a cow and when he asked Casey how long the animal had been dead, Casey replied that it had been there “for a strong week”.

He said he also noted that 18 animals that had been tested in Casey’s herd in November 2018 had disappeared and Casey declined to make their cattle passports and herd numbers available. There was no record of the animals having been moved in Casey’s herd register, as was required.

Judge Waters said that although the case of animal cruelty involving the Aberdeen Angus was the most shocking aspect of the case, the failure by Casey to keep proper records of his herd movements was probably more damaging as it affected the reputation of the Irish beef industry.

Prosecution barrister Tom Rice told the judge that the maximum sentence for the animal cruelty was six months and that it was also open to him under animal welfare regulations to disqualify Casey from keeping or controlling cattle for life.

Judge Waters said Casey had shown “zero remorse” for or insight into his actions in relation to the animal cruelty matter or his failure to adhere to animal movement regulations. He sentenced him to five months in jail and banned him from keeping cattle for life.

Casey’s solicitor, Padraig O’Connell, said his client rejected Judge Waters’ decision to find him guilty of the 10 offences and that although he had not attended the original hearing due to a mix-up over dates, he would be appealing all convictions and fully contesting the charges at the Circuit Court.