WANTON ACT OF CRUELTY.

Otago Witness, Issue 3806, 22 February 1927, Page 67

WANTON ACT OF CRUELTY.

DROVER ILL-TREATS SHEEP. WELLINGTON, February 15. \ n allegation of cruelty' to an animal was made by the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals in'the Magistrate’s Court to-day, When Mr E. Page, S.M., adjudicated in a case in which the society proceeded against Alfred Southee for ill-treating a sheep at Upper Hutt. Evidence was given that Southee was taking a mob of sheep through the township to the saleyards. One was getting about on three legs, and it lay down. Southee hit it on the head with the butt end of his stockwhip, and the animal got up, but after staggering a few yards it lay down again. Mrs M. Hobbs came out of her house and told Southee that he was not fit to drive any animals. The latter got a barrow and wheeled the sheep to the saleyards. Next morning Inspector J. Henrj’ found it there in a dying condition, and procured an order from a justice of the peace to have it destroyed. When the head was skinned a lot of congealed blood was found between the skin and the frontal bone, with the bone very much bruised, seemingly as a result of being hit by a blunt weapon. Mr D. G. Jackson appeared for the defendant, who said thg sheep had hurt ts head in a fall; . z Southee had been convicted thrice previously for cruelty to horses. “ I think this was a wanton act of cruelty,”'said Mr Page, and he sentenced Southee to 14 days ’imprisonment, with hard labour. Mr Jackson pleaded that Southee was a married man with a family, and that the infliction of a fine would have met the case, but the magistrate said he could nat review the matter.