Farmer jailed for flouting TB rules
A cattle farmer has been jailed for 42 weeks for ignoring TB regulations.
Mark Edward Payne, 45, admitted moving cattle illegally without pre-movement testing.
Mr Payne, of The Old Smithy at Brynford near Holywell, Flintshire, was sentenced at Mold Crown Court on Thursday (1 November).
Judge Merfyn Hughes QC said that he had ignored the instructions of trading standards officials and had a history of flouting TB regulations.
The court was told that Mr Payne illegally moved 40 cattle, owned by his wife, from one holding at Waen y Brodlas at Brynford to another holding at Caerwys Hall.
“The majority of the farming community and those involved in dealing with cattle understand and respect the need to protect this important industry from disease and its devastating effect on the health and welfare of livestock, and the livelihood of farmers.”
Flintshire County Council spokesman
Animal health officers from Flintshire County Council found he had moved the cattle in September 2011 and then moved them back without the required testing.
Mr Payne had claimed that the tests had been done within the last 60 days and that he had complied with regulations. But the judge was told that investigations had proved that did not happen, the Daily Post reported.
In 2010, Mr Payne had breached a TB restriction notice and failed to dispose of bovine carcasses. He received a 36-week suspended prison sentence for the offence.
Mr Payne was jailed for 16 weeks, plus 24 weeks after the judge took the earlier offence into consideration. He was given an additional two weeks in jail for failing to attend court for sentencing on an earlier occasion.
Commenting on the case, a spokesman for Flintshire County Council said: “The majority of the farming community and those involved in dealing with cattle understand and respect the need to protect this important industry from disease and its devastating effect on the health and welfare of livestock, and the livelihood of farmers.”
Bovine TB is costs UK taxpayers around £100m a year, according to DEFRA.
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