Farmer fined for starving animals

An elderly Canterbury farmer has been ordered to pay nearly $70,000 in fines and costs after his sheep starved following a "weather-bomb" dumping snow across the South Island in June 2006.

Three hundred and eighty of Melville John Dalmer's sheep were so emaciated that they had to be destroyed after Ministry of Agriculture inspectors and veterinarians intervened, Christchurch District Court was told today.

Judge Raoul Neave fined Dalmer, 75, from Waiau, 23km northeast of Culverden, $8750 on charges of ill-treating sheep and failing to ensure that the physical health and behavioural needs of his sheep.

He was also ordered to repay $60,000 of the ministry's costs.

Dalmer oroginally denied the charges and went on trial on Monday but changed his plea to guilty after three days.

Defence counsel James Rapley told the court today that the farm was unprepared for the events of a dry autumn followed by a heavy snowfall and Dalmer did his best in trying circumstances.

He was a hard working family man, active in local affairs, with good character, he said.

There was no risk of the problems happening again. There was a new hay barn to hold more supplementary feed, he said.

Judge Neave said it was a tragic blip in an otherwise exemplary life.

He said it was a significant operation for the ministry, involving 14 days and 26 staff.

He accepted that at no stage was there any intention to cause the animals harm, and that it was a tragic series of errors and misjudgments for the animals and for Dalmer.

He said here had been no further problems in the three years since the incident.

He did not disqualify Dalmer from having charge of animals because of his age, good character, and knowing that it was not deliberate neglect.

He said Dalmer had already had significant costs in making the improvements, and showed genuine remorse.

Dalmer has been farming on the Annandale property for 46 years, on land that has been in his family for generations.

- NZPA