FARM OWNER JAILED IN APPALLING ANIMAL NEGLECT CASE IN HONITON
A farmer who left sick animals "to die" at a farm has been given a suspended prison sentence.In a case described as "a horror movie" by a judge, David Rosewell of Crook Farm, Combe Raleigh, Honiton, was prosecuted by the Environment Agency (EA) and Trading Standards for allowing appalling animal health and environmental conditions to persist at his farm.
He pleaded guilty to failing to ensure slurry was stored properly and to comply with an Anti-Pollution Works Notice (APWN).
He was sentenced to 18 weeks in custody, suspended 12 months, with a condition to complete 150 hours of unpaid work.
Rosewell was also disqualified from owning, keeping, or participating in keeping all livestock for life, with a minimum five-year period before the ban can be reconsidered.
The court was told the farm had been subject to several EA visits during 2022 and 2023 due to slurry mismanagement causing pollution risks.
Inspections in March 2024 found domestic waste, scrap metal, broken concrete, abandoned vehicles, and cattle living in deplorable conditions, with sheds full of slurry and cattle kept outdoors in winter.
Officers reported that sick animals and carcasses were left in hazardous conditions, and the farm had not followed previous instructions to improve animal welfare.
Despite repeated orders, Rosewell failed to act, and the case was described as "shocking" by District Judge Smith.
Costs of £18,251 were awarded.
The Animal and Plant Health Agency called this "one of the worst examples of farm animal suffering and neglect." An EA spokesperson highlighted that Rosewell repeatedly disregarded laws and posed pollution risks, leading to prosecution.
The case demonstrated effective collaboration between authorities, and enforcement continues against breaches of animal welfare and environmental law.
