Multiple horse case finally ends in success

15.03.2013

A case in which more than 100 horses were found in dreadful conditions at a family’s property in Buckinghamshire finally ended this week – more than five years after it began.
 

On Tuesday 12 March the High Court of Justice dismissed five questions asked about points of law by the legal team for the two defendants, finally ending a case which has been drawn out and cost us £2.4 million in boarding, veterinary, transport and legal fees (£1.7 million was spent on veterinary, boarding and transportation costs for the horses. Legal fees accounted for £700,000).

RSPCA deputy Chief Inspector Kirsty Withnall investigated the original case. She said:

We are pleased that this has finally been brought to a conclusion. As well as more than 100 horses, which were living in terrible conditions, we found another 32 bodies of horses, many of which had been left in pens with the surviving animals.

The defendants in this case consistently refused to sign over the horses, costing the RSPCA hundreds of thousands of pounds in boarding and veterinary fees as we were unable to rehome them for two and a half years. This also denied the animals the chance to settle into new homes for the entire duration of the case and appeal.

This week’s judgment supports what we knew all along – that we had to bring this case to safeguard the welfare of those many horses, the vast majority of which are now in new and happy homes.

The first defendant, a horse trader previously of Spindle Farm, near Amersham, Buckinghamshire, was convicted in May 2009 at Central Buckinghamshire Magistrates’ Court in Bicester of 11 offences under the Animal Welfare Act 2006 after our inspectors found horses in horrific conditions at his premises in early January 2008.
 

His wife was found guilty of failing to meet the welfare needs of some of the horses.

For each of the charges the first defendant was sentenced to 24 weeks’ in prison and was disqualified from keeping, dealing in or owning horses, ponies and donkeys for life. He also had to pay £400,000 in costs. His wife was sentenced to a community order and disqualification order. She had to pay £750 in costs.

The first defendants appeal was dismissed by Aylesbury Crown Court in relation to nine offences and he was ordered to pay an extra £200,000 in costs. The second defendants appeal failed and she was also ordered to pay an extra £200,000 in costs.

The first defendant also lost his appeal against costs.

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