Animal cruelty conviction at Kilcock District Court
A Clydesdale such as this one was one of the horses put down.
A man who left injured animals in a field in west Kildare has been convicted for animal cruelty at Kilcock District Court.
Gerry Connors (73), Esmonde Road, Enniscorthy, Co. Wexford, was keeping six horses in a rented field at Derryvarogue, Donadea. After Gardai were alerted to the conditions in which the animals were being kept, one of them, a Clydesdale horse, had to be put down after the Kildare Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (KSPCA) was called in.
The offence took place on 24 January 2011 and Judge Desmond Zaidan banned Mr. Connors from keeping horses again.
Garda Sean Tierney said in evidence that he got a call from the KSPCA and met Mary Lawlor and Stewart Keane at the field.
The Grey Abbey veterinary service was also called and one horse, a big white animal, which was in foal at the time, was put down. The other five animals were taken to the pound and were alright.
Garda Tierney said Mr. Connors was unhappy the horse had been put down. It was said to be worth €12,000.
The wound on the injured horse were “foul smelling” and “gangrenous” and there was swelling “the size of a football”.
Garda Tierney said the vet put the horse down on “humane grounds”.
David Powderly, solicitor for Mr. Connors, said his client was in the horse business all his life and felt the animals were being looked after. He paid someone in the area to feed them and they were fed properly.
The Court heard that Mr. Connors had also been in ill health and had eight children.
He had no pension from the State, said Mr. Powderly.
Judge Zaidan questioned this and Mr. Powerly said Mr. Connors operated outside of the system all his life and was involved in scrap buying. The Judge said he should be entitled to his pension.
The Court heard that the owner of the field had to pay €200 to get the horse removed and the KSPCA had to pay €200 to the vet.
Judge Zaidan said the horse was in a “despicable” condition. He imposed a €1000 fine with €400 costs.
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Friday 24 May 2013
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