A farmer has been sentenced today (Monday June 8) at Dungannon Court on charges relating to animal welfare.

Martin Beattie (59), Shantonagh Road, Fivemiletown, Co. Tyrone faced 14 charges under the Animal By-Products (Enforcement) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2015, six charges under the Welfare of Animals Act (Northern Ireland) 2011 and one charge under the Veterinary Medicines Regulations 2011.

Beattie was convicted on:

13 charges of failure to dispose of an animal carcass;
One charge of failure to comply with an Animal By-Products notice;
Six charges of causing unnecessary suffering to an animal;
One charge of failure to produce medicine records.

Beattie had previously pleaded guilty and was fined £2,100.

He was also disqualified for life from keeping, owning or participating in the keeping of animals, being party to an arrangement under which animals are kept, and from transporting or arranging the transport of all animals.

A deprivation order was granted.

In addition, he also received a one-month custodial sentence suspended for two years, in respect of the 13 animal carcass charges and a one-month custodial sentence suspended for two years, in respect of the animal-by-products notice charge.

He also received a five-month custodial sentence suspended for two years, in respect of the six unnecessary suffering charges.

He also received a one-month custodial sentence suspended for two years, in respect of the one medicine records.

All suspended sentences are to run concurrently. An offender levy of £15 was also applied.

Animal welfare

The case arose following numerous welfare inspections carried out by Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs (DAERA) direct staff and welfare and enforcement staff between January 28, 2022 and January 30, 2024.

During these inspections conditions on the farm were reported as being very poor, the land was severely poached, housing was poorly maintained with dirty bedding and there was insufficient access to feed and water.

Limited feed that was available and was contaminated with urine and dung.

A large number of animals were caused unnecessary suffering; 29 animals were euthanised to prevent further unnecessary suffering.

Approximately 33 animal carcasses and a number of animal bones were also found.

DAERA said it gives high priority to the welfare of animals and operates a vigorous enforcement policy to ensure full compliance of regulatory requirements.

Any breaches are investigated thoroughly and offenders prosecuted as necessary, it added.

It is considered good practice (as well as being a legal requirement), to remove without delay an animal carcass from a farm to prevent spread of disease and protect public health and avoid detrimental effects on the environment.

Reasons for concern

DAERA added that the improper use of medicines in animals presents a risk to human health.

All keepers of animals destined for the food chain are legally obliged to maintain robust medicine records pertaining to the use of medicines in the animals under their care.

The department has outlined a number of reasons for concern in this context:

The slaughter for human consumption of an animal before the recommended withdrawal period has been observed for drugs which may themselves have adverse effects in humans;
The slaughter of animals entering the food chain containing a drug to which human pathogens are capable of developing antimicrobial resistance (AMR) which may reduce or eliminate the effectiveness of these drugs to treat human diseases in the future.