SUSPENDED JAIL TERMS FOR LLANFARIAN FARMERS OVER SHEEP NEGLECT
Two farmers from Llanfarian received suspended jail sentences after a court found them guilty of animal cruelty, having deprived their sheep of fresh water and kept them in filthy sheds with manure piled so high that their heads nearly touched the ceiling.Rosemary Beryl Crees and John Richard Morgan, both residents of Alltmai Farm, appeared in Aberystwyth Magistrates’ Court on 9 November for sentencing.
In September, the two—aged 73 and 84 respectively—admitted to causing unnecessary suffering to animals at their properties, Alltmai Farm and Hafod Las Isaf, between 6 June 2023 and 30 April of this year.
The court was told that over 500 sheep housed across both sites were neglected.
They lacked access to continuous fresh, clean water and suffered from untreated lameness.
Many sheep were confined in sheds filled with manure several feet deep, with some heads touching the roof.
The farmers also failed to shear their sheep annually, increasing the risk of fly strike and heat stress during summer.
Additionally, they overlooked veterinary advice and essential treatment.
Since 2016, officers from Ceredigion County Council’s Public Protection Service visited the farms 40 times, identifying breaches of legislation and providing written recommendations, which the defendants chose to ignore.
The sheep were kept in unsuitable surroundings, including dirty outbuildings or yards, with 26 sheep housed at Alltmai Farm in dirty conditions, 60 suffering from lameness that went untreated, and 140 sheep in pastures without sufficient water.
The charges stemmed from inspections carried out on 6 and 7 June last year at Alltmai and on 30 April this year at Hafod Las Isaf.
The magistrates sentenced Crees and Morgan to 12 weeks in jail, suspended for 18 months, citing the seriousness of the offences due to their "lack of co-operation and refusal to follow advice." They were also barred from keeping livestock for four years and ordered to pay costs of £2,579.32 along with a £154 surcharge.
Cllr Matthew Vaux from Ceredigion’s Public Protection emphasized that this case underscores the importance of animal welfare laws and the consequences of neglect, reaffirming their commitment to protecting animals and seeking justice.
