Mother and daughter found guilty of animal cruelty (From Daily Echo)

Mother and daughter found guilty of animal cruelty

9:35am Friday 7th March 2008 in

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A MOTHER and daughter have been found guilty of horrific neglect of ponies.

Two seriously ill ponies had been left lying in a sea of mud. Alfie and Filly were still alive when they were found but had to be destroyed, a court heard.

Yesterday their owners were each convicted of four offences of causing unnecessary suffering to animals.

Debra Green, 41, and her daughter Michelle, 19, both of Lime Kiln Lane, Holbury, had denied the offences but were found guilty after a four-day trial.

Announcing the verdict, New Forest magistrate Margaret Hill said Alfie and Filly were discovered after spending the previous night lying in cold, wet mud.

She accused the two defendants of giving "vague and contradictory" evidence during the trial and told them: "You failed to fulfil your responsibilities as owners of the animals."

The verdict was welcomed by RSPCA inspector Clare Crowther. She told the Daily Echo: "These ponies were caused suffering due to some of the worst living conditions I've ever come across."

Alfie and Filly were among about 40 horses and ponies kept in a field at Scallows Lane, West Wellow.

They were among the victims of a bacterial infection that swept through the herd in December 2006, killing at least 17 of the animals.

The court heard that a total of 17 animals were shot between December 12, 2006, and January 2, 2007, andthat another 12 had already died.

During the trial Jeremy Cave, prosecuting, said the "appalling" conditions in which the horses were kept contributed to the severity of the outbreak.

He accused the Greens of keeping too many animals in the field and failing to provide them with sufficient care.

Mr Cave told the court: "The horses were unable to keep away from their own excrement.

"Filly was lying in deep mud and slurry, with nothing to eat and no access to water. Alfie was lying in mud and slurry so thick he was partly buried."

Clive Rees, defending, said: "Parts of the site were very muddy but other parts were less so - and there is no evidence of any disease arising from the mud."

Mr Rees said the deaths were the result of the bacteria and not the conditions in which the animals were kept.

He added: "The vets were surprised by the ferocity of the virus. It was a very nasty and virulent outbreak."

Mr Rees reviewed the evidence given by Michelle Green, who broke down when questioned about the large number of animals that died.

He said: "Michelle is clearly someone who cares deeply about her animals."

The court heard that Hampshire vet Roderick Kynoch was called in after Michelle Green's father Alan visited the field on December 10, 2006, and found two dead horses.

"The vet's recommendations were followed as far as they could be and, most important of all, the horses were given medication," added Mr Rees.

"The Greens acted properly and appropriately all the way through."

Urging the magistrates not to disqualify the defendants from keeping animals, Mr Rees said they took on problem ponies that would not otherwise be looked after. He added: "The numbers have greatly reduced as a result of what happened and they can cope."

The three magistrates adjourned the case until March 20 for pre-sentence reports to be prepared.

Click the links below for previous reports from the court case.