'FIENDISH' OFFENCE.

Auckland Star, Volume LXX, Issue 197, 22 August 1939, Page 5

'FIENDISH' OFFENCE.

COWS ILL-TREATED.

SHAREMILKER IMPRISONED.

ANIMALS HIT WITH SPADE.

(By Telegraph— Own Correspondent.)

ROTORUA, this day,

Described by presiding justices as a case of serious brutality, a charge of cruelty involving ill-treatment of cows was brought in the Rotorua Police Court to-day, before Messrs. O. H. Coleman and J. J. Dillon, J.P.'s, when James Gothorp, sharemilker, of Reporoa, pleaded not guilty to a charge of illtreating a cow by striking it on the hocks with a spade. Defendant was not represented by counsel and although he pleaded not guilty he did not examine any witnesses and had nothing to say in his defence. "

Evidence was given by George Martin, farmer of Reporoa, that he had employed Gothorp for a number of years, first on wages and then as a sharemilker. He had become suspicious that cows on his Wharepaina property, worked by Gothorp, were being illtreated and he had accordingly exhumed a cow which had been buried. He had found that one leg had been broken and the tail cut off. Several other animals on the property bore marks of ill-usage and were without their tails. As a result, witness said, he decided to set a trap for Gothorp, and taking William Price, one of his shepherds, with him, he hid in some flax bushes near the cowshed one morning. They heard cows bellowing and on investigation found that one of the cows had had its hock cut. The injury had apparently been inflicted with a spade on which they found blood and hair. The cow had to be destroyed, and also three more, which at a later date were found to be injured. The injuries appeared to have been inflicted with the sharp edge of a spade. a

Witness added that he had started Gothorp off with a herd of 75 cow#, but it had dwindled to 30. Gothorp had been warned that a continuation of the offences would result in his being dismissed. Evidence was given by William McDonald, Government stock inspector for the Rotorua district, that he found several cows on the property with their hocks damaged, apparently by blows, while several also had their tails cut off. Witness described the injuries as "fiendish."

Constable W. Riddle said that he found four Jersey cows with their tails cut off, four cross-bred cows with their tails broken, while three Jersey cows were hobbling on three legs as a result of injuries which prevented them from feeding. Defendant was not to be found oil the property.

In imposing a sentence of six months' imprisonment, the Bench remarked that the penalty should serve as a warning to others as well as to defendant.