BRUTAL CASE

Bay of Plenty Beacon, Volume 1, Issue 53, 23 August 1939, Page 4

BRUTAL CASE

, CRUELTY TO COWS SIX MONTHS FOR LABOURER "It is a serious and brutal casi and no one will have any sympathy with the defendant. His conduct wa quite inhuman and he deserves n« consideration,stated Mr 0.. H. Cole man, J.P., when Ja,mes Gothorp > s sharemilker, of was sen tenced in the Rotorua Court on Mot day to six months' imprisonment foi cruelty to a cow by striking it oi the hocks with a spade. Accused who was not represented by counsel, pleaded not guilty. The offence toofc place on Januarj' - 23. Mr J. J. Dillon J. P.. was also on the bench. I Evidence that he had employcl defendant for a number of yearg first on wages and then on was given by George Martin, farm, er, at JReporoa. He had been suspicious that the animals on the Wharepaiaa farm where Gothrop was working were being ill-treated. One cow had been buried and when he dug it up, he found that a leg had been broken and the tail cut off. Severlal of the animals bore marks of ill_usage and were without their tails. Consequently he had set a trap, and taking William Price, one of his shepherds with him, they had hidden in som? flax bushes near the cowshed one morning. Th&y heanl the cows bellowing and found on investigation that one of the cows had its hock cut and the joint knocked about. The animal had later been destroyed. The injury had been in. flicted with a spade on which there was blood. Three more cows had had to be destroyed at a later date. The tendon in the leg of another cow was also cut < stated Martin. In reply to the Bench, Martin said that the injury had been inflicted with the edge of the spade, From appearail; ces f he would say that the tails o( the cows had been cut off with a sharp knife.

''I started Gothorp off with a herd of ,75 cows, but it dwindled to added witness. ''The cow was in the bail and its leg was in, a terrible condition, ' 0 stals ed William Price, farm labourer em- ri * * W cloyed by Martin, in giving evidence. He added that after the stock inspector had seen the cow it was destroyed. Gothorp had been warned that a continuation of the offences would result in the termination of his employment. FIENDISH TREATMENT. Evidence was given by William Mac Donald, Government stock inspector at Rotorua j of a visit with Constable Riddle to Reporoa cn Febrnary 2. The hind leg's of three animals were injured at the hock. The joints Avere stiff and dry and this affected the feeding of the animals. Several cows had their tails oil or broken. "It appeared fiendish to me," he concluded. Constable W. H. Riddle stated that four .Jerseys had their tails cut off, four crossbred cows had their tails broken and three Jersey cows were hobbling about on three legs. The defendant could not be seen anywhere, said the constable. Tlie injuries were such that the cow? could not feed, the cuts were jagged and rough, and there was cow hair on the blade of the spade. Recalled for further examination by Sergeant O. Tocher, Martin identified the spade as the one in court. Defendant had been, alone on the • farm and he could not think of anyone else who could have inflicted - Injuries. About February 1 a visi had been paid to the farm, but Gotht orp was not to be found. The cows had not been milked and there were further signs of maltreatment. Gothorp made no statement in extenuation, questioned none of the and did not give evidence. "This should serve as a. warning to others, if not to you—l think that ~f jh>u are too hard/* commented the Bench in delivering judgment.