JANUSZ WADZINSKI'S HORRIFIC ANIMAL ABUSE IN ELGIN: FARMWORKER'S CRUELTY EXPOSED

Janusz Artur Wadzinski, born around 1993 and residing at Dykeside Cottages, Birnie, Elgin IV30 8SU, has been found guilty of inflicting unnecessary suffering upon an animal, specifically a pig, during his employment at a farm in the Elgin area. The incident, which drew significant attention from witnesses and the court, involved Wadzinski repeatedly running over a sow with a quad bike and then assaulting her with a long stick, actions that have sparked outrage and condemnation.

Wadzinski, a Polish national, had been working for the Karro Food Group at Clackmarras Farm, located in Longmorn, Elgin, for a period of six years. The disturbing events took place on March 20, 2020, when witnesses observed him chasing a single pig across the farmyard on his quad bike. According to reports, he struck the pig’s hind legs with the vehicle multiple times, causing her to fall. Witnesses described how he then drove the quad onto her back before rolling off, an act that was repeated at least six times during the incident.

Among the witnesses were a mother and her daughter, who were out walking their dogs nearby. They watched in horror as Wadzinski continued his assault on the pig. The elder woman recounted her experience, stating, “He was driving up behind her, knocked her back legs to knock her down, and as she fell, he was rolling up on her back and rolling off again. He repeated this more than six times. He was shouting, but we didn’t understand as it was in Polish. There was a lot of shouting and swearing. We are animal lovers, so it was absolutely horrific to witness how he was coming for her. I was a state.”

Mrs. Hendry further described how she ran towards Wadzinski, witnessing him herd the injured pig into a hay bale enclosure where she continued to be abused. She vividly recalled the long, three to four-foot stick he used, beating the pig repeatedly with each strike accompanied by squeals of distress. “I will never forget that white stick,” she said. “It was three to four feet long. He picked it up and was beating her, and every time you heard a whack, there was a squeal. This is a man who is supposed to be responsible for these animals’ welfare, and this is what he was doing to her. The pig was traumatised and squealing. I was screaming and shouting ‘oi’ at him, and he eventually stopped and came over. He folded his arms and just said ‘what’.”

When Mrs. Hendry confronted Wadzinski about his actions, he responded dismissively, saying, “She not do as she’s told.” When she told him that such behavior was unacceptable, he retorted, “I go now and I kill her. I can because I work here.”

Lauren Hendry, another witness, also saw the incident involving the quad bike and was left in tears by the scene. After returning home, she was so “shocked and disgusted” that she went back to the farm to speak with a farm manager. The manager assured her, “I will have a word with him,” but Lauren expressed her feelings of disbelief, stating, “I felt like I wasn’t being believed.”

Wadzinski was also observed striking the pig with a four-foot stick, an act that further demonstrated the cruelty inflicted upon the animal. During his testimony, Wadzinski claimed to his defense lawyer, Iain Maltman, that he was still employed at the farm but had transitioned to a maintenance role over the past six months, separate from pig handling. He denied being on the quad bike behind the pig or hitting her with a stick, suggesting that he and a colleague were simply working side-by-side to move the pigs from one paddock to another. He also claimed that when the sow refused to move, he was instructed to get a trailer to transport her, and insisted that the incidents of abuse never occurred.

Wadzinski further stated, “I didn’t say I would kill the pig. I said she was causing problems and most likely she would have to be shot.” He explained that his comments were made in response to racist remarks directed at him by Mrs. Hendry and claimed he was upset and tired at the time.

Karro Food Limited’s breeding herd manager, Cameron Fordyce, aged 53, testified that Wadzinski had no authority or means to kill pigs and that, after inspecting the animal himself, he found no signs of injury. Despite this, Sheriff Gordon Fleetwood delivered an immediate verdict, dismissing the defense witnesses’ accounts and confirming Wadzinski’s guilt on the charges.

Wadzinski, who resides in work-provided accommodation at Dykeside Cottages, Birnie, Elgin, was fined £500 and received a one-year ban from keeping or working with animals. The court’s ruling was clear in condemning his actions, emphasizing the seriousness of animal cruelty. A spokesperson for Karro Food Limited, formerly known as Grampian Country Pork, stated that “appropriate action will be taken” following the verdict. They reaffirmed the company’s commitment to high welfare standards and condemned any form of animal cruelty, noting that the court’s guilty verdict would lead to further disciplinary measures.

In response to the conviction, some local residents took to Facebook to criticize Karro Food’s claims of animal welfare. One commenter stated, “Karro’s farms all over are terribly kept... I used to work with a contractor that went in to clean all the bedding from under where the huts was, and I constantly found dead piglets just left to rot.” The incident has sparked ongoing discussions about animal treatment on farms in the Elgin area, highlighting concerns about welfare standards and the treatment of livestock.