A MAN who broke a court order banning him from keeping sheep after he neglected them has had a suspended prison sentence extended.
Derbyshire County Council originally prosecuted Neil Ian Johnson – also known as Najim Ud Din – of Sheffield, who kept sheep and cattle at Hognaston, near Ashbourne, in August 2011.
On this occasion Johnson received a four month suspended prison sentence and was banned from participating in the keeping of sheep for ten years after pleading guilty to eight offences under the Animal Welfare Act 2006.
He had failed to provide sheep with adequate feed and kept them in a harmful environment which posed a risk of injury – with the field containing rusty barbed wire, discarded bailer twine and loose sheep netting.
A vet found sheep in the flock were under-sized, weak, thin and bordering on emaciation.
The county council took further action when, the month following the original ban, he was again found to be participating in the keeping sheep at Broomhall Farm, Westwick Lane, Holymoorside.
Johnson appeared at Chesterfield magistrates’ court on January 9 for sentencing following a guilty plea at a previous hearing to keeping sheep in contravention of the ten year ban.
His original four month suspended prison sentence was extended by a month. He was given a 12 month conditional discharge and ordered to pay £950 court costs at a rate of £70 per month.
Cllr Kevin Parkinson, Derbyshire County Council Cabinet Member for Regeneration, said: “We work to ensure that animals and livestock across the county are properly cared for and that the correct procedures are followed.
“This case shows the thoroughness of our officers in ensuring banning orders which are handed down by the courts are adhered to. Once we received a report from a member of the public that a breach had occurred we had an obligation to investigate.”
Comments