Farmer in dock for letting sheep starve to death

Oct 24 2008 by Lisa Boyle, Ayrshire Post (main ed)

A FARMER allowed dozens of sheep to starve to death.

And Hugh Blythe left their decomposing bodies rotting in a field before someone tipped off trading standards.

When the authorities went to check the farm they also found that some sheep were so emaciated they couldn’t stand up.

A vet had to order that more sheep – including some that were lambing – be put down because they were in so much pain.

Blythe landed in the dock at Ayr Sheriff Court this week to face the consequences of neglecting the animals at High Smithston Farm near Maybole.

The court heard that trading standards officers went with a vet to the farm on February 26 this year and found a horrific scene. At least 20 sheep were dead and in varying states of decay. Others were slowly starving.

Throughout the inspection of the farm, they noticed the ground was wet, there was little grass and no supplement nutrition for the sheep.

The inspectors tracked down Blythe, 49, who claimed he checked the sheep weekly but not regularly.

But he admitted sheep approaching lambing should be checked daily.

When asked why the sheep had no hay, Blythe said he had fallen down on the job.

He added: “I’ve been checking those sheep so infrequently I wasn’t aware how severe the problem was. It is far from an excuse.”

Blythe admitted that he failed to take reasonable steps to ensure that the needs of the animals were met to the extent required.

A defence lawyer for Blythe said that he was going through difficulties in his life at the time.

The solicitor added that he didn’t expect the sheep to be lambing so early.

Sheriff Jack McGowan deferred sentence on Blythe for three months for an up-to-date report of the farm.