Published 24 Feb 2023
https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/crime/300815567/hundreds-of-sheep-euthanised-due-to-appalling-farming-conditions
Hundreds of sheep had to be euthanised and thousands suffered from ill treatment by two farmers using “dreadful” and “appalling” practices.
One of the farmers also drove his ute at an animal welfare investigator and a vet while they were checking the sheep in April 2020.
The farmers, Manawatū brothers Richard and Geoffrey Sanson, were given prison sentences in the Palmerston North District Court on Friday for their treatment of sheep. Both in their 60s, they are experienced farmers.
Geoffrey was sentenced to one year and 10 months in prison, while Richard was given a longer sentence of two years and two months for the assault with his vehicle.
Judge Bruce Northwood outlined the brothers’ history of “massive overstocking and serious under feeding”.
He said 460 sheep had to be euthanised in this incident because of their poor health and about 3000 sheep were affected.
There were “cattle bellowing because they were hungry”.
In 2014 a pile of 100 dead sheep and cattle was found. Despite some improvement in 2015, in 2016 the property was found heavily stocked with low feed. Stock levels were reduced in 2017.
“The appalling conditions found in 2020 did not arise over a short period,” Northwood said.
There had been “repeated” interventions by the Ministry for Primary Industries asking the brothers to improve.
“This was reckless ill-treatment of a number of farm animals over an extended period. The offending occurred in the face of previous interventions by [the ministry].”
Northwood said their history as farmers before 2020 was dreadful.
The brothers said they had been overwhelmed with grief after the death of their mother, had been affected by drought and were unable to take stock to the sales because of the Covid-19 lockdown.
But Northwood said there had been a long-term animal welfare problem on the farm and pasture levels were far higher on neighbouring farms, so the drought was not an excuse.
He said stock sales were an essential business during the lockdown so could have happened and “given deplorable state of the animals, they should have been euthanised”.
The assault with a vehicle occurred when an animal welfare officer and a vet had been inspecting animals on the farm, having noticed a lack of grass.
Richard arrived and drove his vehicle at speed towards the pair. They jumped out of the way, but there could have been “dire consequences”. Richard stopped near some sheep and started feeding them.
“Both the veterinarian and the animal inspector became concerned for their safety and left,” Northwood said. “Your intention was to scare them away.”
Northwood said all he had seen from Richard was minimisation, denial and a belief the ministry had a vendetta against him, when it actually wanted to help the animals.
Geoffrey read a statement to the court and said he was “extremely very, very sorry” and regretted what had happened to the animals.
His lawyer Paul Murray said Geoffrey was extremely remorseful and the brothers had farmed without incident since 2020.
The death of their mother and Covid-19 had affected them, and they were of good character.
Lawyer Phillip Drummond, acting for Richard, said the brothers had de-stocked the farm since the incident and were farming a lot better.
Lawyer for MPI, Leo Stothart, said it was one of the worst examples of reckless treatment of animals.