A Co Derry livestock haulier has been fined £300 for causing unnecessary suffering to pigs and transporting pigs in a manner likely to cause injury from a farm in Co Longford.
Cookstown Magistrates' Court was told yesterday that Michael McGurk (61), of Grange Road, Magherafelt, had conveyed the pigs to Unipork's Cookstown bacon factory in December 1996 and January 1997. Twenty-five of the animals were in poor condition and 18 of them had to be condemned.
Defence lawyer, Ms Linda Robinson, said McGurk had been in the livestock haulage business for more than 40 years and had an impeccable reputation.