A Skibbereen farmer has been sentenced to 30 days in jail for animal cruelty and has been ordered by the judge to destock his farm of all animals within 30 days of his release from prison and not to get involved in owning or managing animals for a further three years.
"If he can't cope with farming, then he should give up farming," said Judge James McNulty as he imposed sentence and penalties.
Kenneth Coombes (42), The Carrig, Lurriga, Skibbereen, Co Cork, had pleaded guilty earlier this week to 22 charges including 12 of animal cruelty, six of allowing animals to wander on the public roadway and four of failing to properly dispose of carcasses.
At Bantry District Court yesterday, Judge McNulty sentenced Coombes to 30 days in jail on two charges of causing cruelty to pigs and dogs and three counts of failing to bury carcases, including one of allowing a carcase to decay on a shed roof.
Judge McNulty also sentenced him to six months imprisonment on 15 of the remaining charges but suspended the six-month term on condition that he co- operate fully in undergoing a psychiatric assessment while serving the 30-day sentence on the other charges.
He also made it a condition of suspending the six-month term that Coombes dispose of all animals within 30 days of his release from prison and that he refrain from owning, keeping, minding or managing any animal or poultry for three years.
"He's not capable or competent to own any animal, not even a dog," Judge McNulty said.
He remanded Coombes on bail on a last-remaining charge in order to keep him under the scrutiny and supervision of the court to ensure that he refrains from keeping any animals.
Judge McNulty said he had accepted a submission from Coombes's solicitor, Ray Hennessy, that Coombes suffered from a dysfunctional background and social isolation.
Mr Hennessy had said that his client had suffered from arrested personal development and a retarded maturation process as a result.
Mr Hennessy had told the court that Coombes was "as cruel to himself" as he has been to his animals in terms of neglect. He needed help from someone and sending him to prison would not help him to take him out his "dark hole of depression".
Judge McNulty, however, pointed out that Coombes had previous convictions for animal cruelty, in 1992, 1993, 1997 and 2000, and the message did not appear to be getting through to him that such treatment of animals was not acceptable.
Judge McNulty asked if society was supposed to tolerate a man of Coombes's age and maturity or indeed, immaturity, "reoffending and reoffending and reoffending and reoffending and reoffending" with regard to cruelty and neglect of his animals.
The judge imposed five concurrent 30-day sentences on Coombes along with the suspended six months before remanding him to appear at Skibbereen District Court on September 11th on the last count.