Updated from the original article below.
Published on TVNZ website May 11 2018
A Golden Bay farmer who broke the tails of several cows, hit them with a polythene pipe and kicked one of his herd in the stomach has been banned from owning animals for five years.
Steven John Wells, 45, was sentenced in the Nelson District Court this week following prosecution action taken by the Ministry for Primary Industries.
Wells was earlier convicted on six charges of ill-treating animals after being found guilty at a judge alone trial in March.
The court heard, amongst other evidence, how the Golden Bay farmer would hit his cows with a polythene pipe with excessive force to direct them into the milking shed and how he left dead cows and calf carcasses in paddocks and lanes rather than disposing of them properly.
A number of former employees and co-workers gave evidence about Mr Wells’ ill-treatment of his animals and his anger management issues during the trial.
Judge Tony Zohrab told the court that Wells’ actions including slamming of a gate into a cow’s head, all constituted “extreme violence”.
Wells was sentenced to six months community detention, 180 hours community work and disqualified from exercising authority over animals for five years.
He was also ordered to pay costs to MPI.
Published on TVNZ website 23/03/2018
A Golden Bay farm manager has been found guilty of a ill-treating cows, breaking their tails and hitting them with a metal pipe.
Steven John Wells, 45, was a farm manager at Maratoa Farm near Takaka, was convicted of six counts under the Animal Welfare Act.
The ruling was handed down in the Nelson District Court last week after a four day trial.
Mr Wells committed a number of offences on cows in his care between 2015 and 2016: breaking the tails of cows, kicking, needing and punching them.
He also hit the cows with a metal pipe.
Wells will be sentenced in the Nelson District Court on April 30.