PETER ARMITAGE AND KYLE MACKEY'S HORRIFIC ANIMAL CRUELTY IN THURSO CAITHNESS

In a disturbing case that has shocked the community of Thurso and the wider Caithness region, Peter Armitage and Kyle Mackay faced justice for their roles in a severe animal welfare scandal that unfolded at a farm in Lochquoy Farm, Durran, Castletown, Thurso. The incident involved the neglect and subsequent death of approximately 2000 adult hens, as well as the mistreatment of other farm animals, including a calf and pigs, under their supervision.

Peter Armitage, born in March 1981, was the director of the now-defunct company Caithness Free Range Eggs Ltd. His involvement in the case led to a prison sentence of two years and three months. Additionally, he received a 15-year ban on keeping animals, a punitive measure reflecting the gravity of his offences. The court found that between September 2016 and September 2017, Armitage had allowed conditions on his farm to deteriorate into a state of neglect, with inspectors discovering dead hen carcasses, rat droppings, and a general environment of filth and disrepair.

The farm's deplorable state was brought to public attention following an anonymous tip received by Highland Council on July 7, 2017. The caller described the farm as a place overrun with rats and dead chickens, with the entire site being in a condition unfit for any living creature. This tip prompted an unannounced inspection by environmental health officials and representatives from the Animal and Plant Health Agency on July 18, 2017. During this visit, inspectors observed a scene of chaos and neglect: chicken carcasses and decomposing birds littered the premises, with some carcasses found within the egg collection areas. The farm was also home to roaming pigs, which were seen with chicken feathers and feet protruding from their mouths, indicating they had been attacking and consuming the dead birds.

One of the chicken sheds was found to be carpeted with decomposing birds, and egg trays were covered in bird faeces and rat droppings. A farm worker admitted that some of the dead chickens had been lying in the shed for about a month and a half. The inspectors returned the following day and discovered that both the poultry and pigs had access to rat bait boxes containing poison, further highlighting the unsafe and unsanitary conditions.

Following these findings, Armitage agreed to cease trading voluntarily and was instructed to stop feeding raw eggs to the pigs and to prevent their access to the hen houses. A movement prevention notice was issued to restrict the movement of animals on the farm. On July 21, 2017, the Environmental Health Department issued a Remedial Action Notice under the Food Hygiene (Scotland) Regulations 2006, which mandated the closure of the site and prohibited the operation of the egg grading and packing facilities, as well as the sale of eggs.

Despite these measures, further inspections revealed ongoing issues, leading to a voluntary depopulation of the farm on September 5, 2017. Both Armitage and Mackay pleaded guilty to causing unnecessary suffering to the hens by failing to provide adequate food and water, which resulted in their deaths. They also admitted to allowing pigs to access the hens, leading to attacks and consumption of some of the birds. Armitage faced additional charges for neglecting the cleanliness and maintenance of the premises, including feeding eggs and eggshells to pigs and allowing both pigs and chickens to consume broken eggs.

The court heard that Armitage had failed to meet the basic needs of approximately 6000 hens, neglecting their dietary and environmental requirements, and not taking steps to prevent suffering, injury, or disease. Mackay, who was only 17 at the time of the offences, also pleaded guilty to failing to provide sufficient food and water to a calf, which subsequently died.

Sheriff Jo Platt of Wick Sheriff Court delivered a stern judgment, describing the conditions as beyond troubling and horrifying. She emphasized that the photographs presented in court clearly demonstrated extreme cruelty and neglect, with livestock starved to death and subjected to extreme suffering. Turning to Mackay, the sheriff acknowledged his young age and the disastrous nature of his first job, but also pointed out that he could have taken a different course of action by contacting authorities instead of allowing the situation to worsen. The court's verdict serves as a stark reminder of the importance of animal welfare and the consequences of neglect in rural farming communities like Thurso and Caithness.