Man banned from farming over animal mistreatment

A Hawke's Bay farmer has been banned from farming for 10 years after admitting ill-treating hundreds of his animals.

But he escaped having his name made public after a psychiatrist said he may commit suicide if it was published, The Dominion Post reported.

The farmer was also fined $12,000 and ordered to pay $9000 reparation in Napier District Court yesterday on 10 charges laid under the Animal Welfare Act.

The court was told an animal welfare investigator visited his farm on May 17 last year after a complaint.

He found starving deer and cattle, paddocks bare of grass, no sign of feed and empty water troughs.

Over the next six weeks the farmer was unco-operative with investigators, refusing to speak to them and hanging up on phone calls.

He was ordered to feed the remaining animals but failed to do so. Investigators used bolt cutters to gain entry to provide feed.

Several carcasses were found in the man's paddocks. More than 100 deer and cattle had to be euthanased.

- NZPA