KEITH BARBER

FARMER JAILED FOR CAUSING UNNECESSARY SUFFERING TO SHEEP

A Gloucestershire farmer has been sent to prison for causing unnecessary suffering to a sheep found dead on his farm during an unannounced inspection.

Keith Barber, aged 72, of Joys Green, Lydbrook, appeared at Cheltenham Magistrates’ Court on Wednesday 11 August to be sentenced.

He pleaded guilty to five charges related to the welfare of his sheep and his failure to dispose of carcasses properly.

Magistrates activated a previously suspended sentence, sentencing him to 56 days in custody for the offenses.

He was ordered to pay £200 towards costs and a disqualification order for all animals except his pet dog was granted for an indefinite period.

Barber had earlier been disqualified from keeping pigs and cattle after being convicted of animal welfare offenses in January 2019, receiving an 18-month suspended prison sentence.

In December 2019, trading standards officers found in his farm a dead sheep in filthy conditions alongside two live sheep showing signs of sheep scab, which causes itching and soreness.

Despite being advised to seek veterinary care, Barber failed to do so.

Post-mortem confirmed the sheep had been kept in squalid conditions and suffered from sheep scab, with findings suggesting starvation.

Barber also admitted to failing to dispose of carcasses of other sheep found on his land.

Cllr Dave Norman emphasized the importance of animal welfare standards and stated that the custodial sentence sends a clear message about the importance of proper animal care.