BRADFORD HORSE ABUSER KIM BROADBENT SENTENCED AFTER HORSE CRUELTY CASES
Kim Broadbent, a resident of Bradford and known for her association with the Romany gypsy community, was found guilty of severe neglect and cruelty towards her horses, leading to tragic consequences.Her case drew significant attention from animal welfare authorities and the local community alike.
In January 2015, the RSPCA was alerted to a distressing scene in a field in Pudsey, a town within the Bradford area.
Upon inspection, they discovered a foal that had collapsed and subsequently died, a heartbreaking result of neglect.
Further investigation revealed that three adult horses on the property were emaciated and in a dire state of health.
These animals were seized by police on veterinary advice and taken into the care of the RSPCA to prevent further suffering.
Nick Welch, the regional chief inspector for the RSPCA, expressed his concern over the ongoing neglect.
He stated, “The defendant received numerous verbal warnings and has received advice and attempts to assist by the RSPCA several times over a long period, but she persistently failed to meet the needs of her horses.
These poor horses were in a terrible state when we found them, and sadly one was already dead.” As a result of these findings, Broadbent was sentenced to 100 hours of community service, ordered to pay £200 in costs, and was disqualified from keeping horses for life.
The case was widely reported in the Telegraph & Argus on September 17, 2015.
However, this was not her first encounter with allegations of animal cruelty.
In 2011, Broadbent was cleared of charges related to the starvation deaths of three horses during the previous winter.
At that time, she rented land at Moss House Farm on Roper Lane in Queensbury, Bradford, where she kept up to 13 horses.
An RSPCA inspector found two dead horses and another that had collapsed and later died.
Four additional horses were described as being “thin,” indicating poor health and neglect.
During the 2011 court proceedings, Broadbent, then residing on Barnstaple Way in Holme Wood, Bradford, explained that she had given the horses to the landowner, Richard Woodhead, because she could no longer afford to keep them.
She told the court, “I said you might as well keep them, I can’t afford to pay you.
And it was just left at that.” However, prosecutor Nigel Monaghan pointed out that there was no concrete evidence proving the transfer of ownership, and Broadbent faced nine charges related to the horses’ deaths and the conditions in which they were kept between December 7 of the previous year and January 7 of that year.
Inspector Emma Ellis from the RSPCA described the conditions as “appalling.” She testified that all the horses were extremely thin, with the two dead horses being very emaciated, their bones clearly visible.
The stable floor was covered in four to five inches of excrement, and the water troughs were frozen solid, with no other water sources available.
The ground was blanketed in snow, and there was no accessible food for the animals.
Broadbent claimed she continued to see the horses after she said she no longer owned them, citing her love for the animals as her reason.
She also stated she was caring for other horses nearby.
The court was told that her last visit to the horses at Moss House Farm was two weeks before the RSPCA inspection.
Ultimately, the court acquitted her of all charges, with chairman Brian Outlaw commenting, “She did continue to look after the other horses nearby in another field.
We believe this is not the action of someone who does not care for animals.” It was also revealed that Broadbent now owns 26 horses, which she keeps in Fagley and on Dick Lane in Thornbury, indicating her continued involvement with equine care despite previous allegations and convictions.
