George Lyon fined 400 for animal cruelty

31 March 1998

George Lyon fined £400 for animal cruelty

GEORGE LYON, president of the Scottish National Farmers Union, was fined £400 at Rothesay sheriff court after admitting animal cruelty charges.

He was fined £250 for allowing the transportation of seven ewes from Rothesay
on the island of Bute to Stirling auction market when they were unfit to be
moved. He was fined a further £150 for allowing one ewe to undergo unnecessary
pain and distress when he should have known of its condition.

The sheriff, John Herald, said he had decided to deal with Lyon lightly in
view of his high profile. But he added that he had a duty to supervise his own
farming operation and that he must not let his standards drop.

He accepted Lyon had been let down by an employee and that he was not personally responsible for the condition of the animals.

Lyon said he had no intention of standing down from the SNFU presidency. He said
he had taken appropriate action to make sure there was no repetition at A&K
Farms on Bute.

• The Scotsman 31/03/98 page 7