CHARGE OF CRUELTY.

Gisborne Times, Volume L, Issue 5138, 2 April 1919, Page 6

CHARGE OF CRUELTY.

HORSES IN STARVED CONDITION. DEFENDANT FINED £ls. Esmond Luttrell was charged at the Magistrate’s Court yesterday, on the information of Robert Thelwell, inspector to the Society for Prevention of Cruelty to_ Animals (Mr Burnard), with having cruelly treated five mares and' three foals in that lie had failed to supply them with sufficient food while they were in his charge. Defendant did not appear, and was not represented by counsel. Douglas Stevenson, taxi driver, said he knew defendant whose business was that of horse trainer. The place where the mares were kept without food was about 62 Wainui Road. The mares and foals had been very badly treated. Though there was plenty of water there was no food. Witness had the paddock next to Luttrell. There was a little food when the horses were first put in, but for a week to a fortnight they were without proper food. They ate flowers, weeds and .apy thing they could get. He was quite satisfied that the horses were starved. Constable Butterworth said he had visited defendant’s paddock where he saw five mares and two foals. One of the mares was chewing a piece of macrocarpa, about as thick as his wrist. Docks and all weeds had been eaten till the ground was quite bare, and the had reached over the fence and had eaten all the grass they could get.. There was no evidence of the horses having- been fed with chaff. The horses had been reduced to such a condition that in a few days they would have died. Returning' to Gisborne he saw Mr Luttrell and told him that proceedings were to be taken, and that he had better shift the horses. Defendant replied .that he had been going to shift the horses for a week but could not get a paddock. The animals were brood mares, and had been left in the care of defendant who had a stallion. A. Robert Thelwell said he had inspected the paddock. To the best of his recollection there were_ three foals and 'five mares. There "was absolutely nothing for horses to eat. The willow trees had been lopped and. the horses had eaten the bark off the branches. They had also eaten the bark off macrocarpa trees ibe mares were Very and. t>ne joais were in the same condition. The Magistrate said that the Act provided for a fine not exceeding £2O or two months imprisonment. it was quite clear that the present case was a bad one. The horses had eaten what no horse would ordinarily eat, and had devoured all avaunhle vegetation. Something mono win an ordinary penalty was called lor, and defendant would bes. convicted! anff fined £ls with costs £3 14s, recoverable by distress; m default six weeks imprisonment.