DEATH OF A BULL.

Ashburton Guardian, Volume 60, Issue 29, 14 November 1939, Page 3

DEATH OF A BULL.

FARMER SENT TO GAOL.

(Per Press Association),. AUCKLAND, November 13. “No one knows what the. animal suffered, caught up in the gorse and apparently slowly starving to death,” said Mx F. H. Levieii, S.M., in the Wainku Magistrate’s Court in sentencing a Waipipi farmer,' Leonard -Doull, to seven days’ imprisonment on a charge of cruelly ill-treating, a bull.

The charge, was brought at the instance of the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, for whom Mr J. M. Hcise appeared. Evidence was given by Noble Webster (an inspector for the society) that on September 5 he took photographs of a. bull lying dead .on. a farm next to defendant’s. About 40ft of chain was attached to the nose of the bull. This had become almost entirely caught up in gorse and wire, leaving only about 18in. of slack chain. An examination of the animal revealed that it had eaten nothing but gorse. ■Defendant in evidence stated that the bull had broken away while he was driving it and broken into a neighbour’s property. The neighbour told him that it had become caught in the gorse, and lie went over to find it dead.

Defendant suggested that the hull must have thrown itself when struggling to get free and come down on its head, smothering itself. Death would thus occur within a few minutes. The animal was valuable. He had refused 35gns for it. . The magistrate characterised defendant’s statement that the bull was smothered as imagination. He added that should defendant’s solicitor (Mr S. von Sturmer) decide to appeal against the sentence, or have cause to apply for a rehearing, he would facilitate the application.