A Farmer from Co Mayo on whose lands gardai found more than a dozen dead livestock had invested £5,000 worth of animal subsidies in stocks and shares. A judge yesterday ordered that the farmer dispose of all his farm animals within the next two months. He adjourned sentence.
Seamus O'Brien (37), Carrow moremoy, Killasser, Swinford, was found guilty at Swinford District Court of what Judge Dan Shields described as "the most appalling neglect and cruelty" to livestock.
Gardai gave evidence of finding O'Brien's farm littered with carcases and decomposed skeletal remains of livestock on March 15th. Some livestock had died standing up in mud, vainly trying to free themselves. Other starving animals were trying to feed from an uncovered silage mound on which a dead calf lay and on which other animals were urinating. Thirteen dead animals were found on the farm. There were 16 live animals, seven of which were emaciated.
Mr Frank Maughan, veterinary officer, said starvation had occurred even though O'Brien received more than £5,000 in premiums and subsidies in the year ending April 5th. When asked why he had not bought fodder for the animals, O'Brien said he had invested the money in stocks and shares.
Mr Maughan said he would not deem O'Brien to be fit to look after cattle and it might be better for him to get into forestry, where he would have an income.
O'Brien, who pleaded guilty to cruelty and 13 counts of failing to bury carcases, said he had not realised so many cattle were dead until gardai carried out the inspection. He said he could not bury the carcases as his tractor was broken. Judge Shields said it was the most appalling case of cruelty and neglect with which he had ever dealt, but he adjourned sentencing to July 5th to allow for the testing and disposal of the remaining livestock.
O'Brien's mother told the judge she did not want her son to let the land or allow it to be used for forestry.