CRUEL FARMER.

Hutt News, Volume 3, Issue 26, 20 November 1930, Page 12

CRUEL FARMER.

HORSES ILL-TREATED Two charges of cruelly ill-treating a' horse were made against Thomas Mitchell, a dairy-farmer, of Stokes Valley. One charge was made by the. police and one by the Society of the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals. ' The* police charge was that Mitchell ill-treated a horse by working it while it was suffering from sores. To this he pleaded not guilty. Sergeant J. W. McHolm said that he had seen, the defendant on 14th. Octo-... ber driwng a hoTse in a milkcart. The liorse had a sore under the saddle, a girth gall and a scald on the breast under the collar. The animal had not been used since.. The defendant was convicted and fined £3. '■■•.■ ■... ..; '.. .; v » t The S.P.C.&.X charge was one of ill-treating a horse by working it while it was in an unfit condition and Mitchell again pleaded not guilty. Captain James Henry, inspect.""" for the S.P:C.A. said that on 10th October, with Constable- C. J; Dwyer, he met MitchelL on1 the road near Taita. Mitchell had a mare in his cart, and was flogging it along the road. The animal was covered with sweat, and was very lame in. onte foot, from which it seemedl to be suffering intense pain. The mare was, about twenty years old, and was in poor condition. It had a girth gall on one f-'aide^?I'•:■>;.■■ •••■ '-.j-T ..;-.:■■?;.";. .;• ~. ; ' '". .-'■■• ■'.'.• Supporting "evidence was given by Constable "Qwyer, . Mitchell's evidence was that he had borrowed the mare. It had received injuries by f ailing on the bitumen one morning; The same afternoon he had walked it fr6m Petone to Taita, There some motor traffic caused him to hit it 'three times with a whip* It broke into a canter and just as it was slowing down - again, to a walk Captain. Henry, and Constable Dwyer appeared. ..The Magistrate (Mr T. B. McNeil, S.M.) said he was satisfied that the defendant was working the mare when, it "was in an unfit condition, and that, in do ing" that he -was cruel to it. It seemed extraordinary afteT the defendant had walked 'i he animal all the way from Per tone the inspector and the constable sjliould appear -just as he was flogging it along the = road. I Mitchell Was fined £5. No time was allowed in which to pay.