Lincolnshire farmer jailed for stealing sheep from marts

A Lincolnshire farmer has been jailed for four-and-a-half years after being convicted of stealing hundreds of sheep from livestock markets across England over a seven-year period.

Peter Parker, 60, of The Clays, Brant Broughton, was sentenced at Nottingham Crown Court on Friday 8 May, following a joint prosecution by Nottinghamshire County Council Trading Standards, West Mercia Police and Cumbria Police.

The court heard that between 2016 and 2023, Parker carried out a series of organised thefts at Newark Livestock Market, Hereford Livestock Market, and Penrith and District Farmers’ Mart.

See also: Five men convicted of Anglesey beef cattle theft

Prosecutors said CCTV footage showed Parker arriving at markets late at night in a lorry transporting sheep.

He would then swap his own animals for higher-quality livestock or, in some cases, steal sheep directly from the markets.

At Newark Livestock Market alone, Parker was found to have stolen almost 650 sheep worth at least £23,000 during the summer of 2017.

He also stole a further 50 sheep from Penrith and 23 from Hereford.

The court was told that some of the offences were committed while Parker was already on bail.

In addition to the theft offences, Parker pleaded guilty to two regulatory breaches relating to failures to notify authorities about the movement or death of cattle.

However, he denied eight further charges relating to livestock identification and animal welfare offences.

Authorities said Parker’s repeated offending damaged confidence in livestock markets and posed risks to animal welfare, disease control and food safety.

Strong message

Councillor Dawn Justice, cabinet member for communities and public health at Nottinghamshire County Council, said the sentence sent a “strong message” that livestock theft and breaches of animal health regulations would not be tolerated.

Martin Beck, of the National Rural Crime Unit, described Parker as “highly organised” at stealing sheep from around the country.

“Livestock theft is not a victimless crime, not only did he betray the trust of livestock auctioneers and fellow farmers, the impact of his crimes created a risk to public and animal health,” he added.

Mr Beck said the investigation demonstrated how police forces and enforcement agencies were working together to tackle rural crime and protect the farming industry.