12 October,
2006
FARMER FACES
COURT OVER STARVATION OF 150+ SHEEP
AACT calls for severe penalties
Oatlands farmer,
Robert Charles Gregg will appear at the Hobart Magistrates Court tomorrow,
facing charges over the starvation of over 150 sheep and the severe malnutrition
of many more.
AACT understands that Mr Gregg
will be charged under the mismanagement (section 7), cruelty (section
8) and aggravated cruelty (section 9) provisions of the Tasmanian Animal
Welfare Act.
According to AACT Coordinator,
Yvette Watt:
“It is incomprehensible
that someone could neglect the animals in their care for so long that
this many sheep could die the slow, cruel death of starvation. A number
of the sheep who were still alive were in such poor condition that they
had to be destroyed. We believe that of those sheep still alive when
the inspector arrived, a number were so weak that crows had pecked their
eyes out. It is a sickening case which deserves the most severe penalties
available to the courts.
We are further distressed
that the suffering of these animals was either ignored or went unnoticed
by Mr Gregg’s neighbours for so long, before being brought to
the attention of the authorities.”
The charges against Mr Gregg
allow for substantial fines and a goal term. The Tasmanian Animal Welfare
Act also provides for the courts to disqualify a person from having
custody of animals if convicted under the Act. Ms Watt concluded:
“There is never any
excuse for this sort of extreme neglect that has caused such terrible
suffering to so many animals. We can only hope that if convicted the
full force of the law is brought against this Mr Gregg. We trust that
the magistrate sees fit to provide for a fine and goal sentence, and
to disqualify him from ever having custody over animals again.”
For more information:
AACT Coordinator, Yvette Watt, Mob 0407 564 425
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