'Overwhelming evidence of suffering' in horse trial (From Bucks Free Press)

Witness tells of corpses in pens at horse cruelty trial

6:04pm Wednesday 18th February 2009 in News By Alex Hayes

A COURT was today told hundreds of horses had to be removed from a farm after “overwhelming evidence of unreasonable suffering” was discovered there.

An expert witness in the trial of five people accused of mistreating horses at Spindles Farm, Chalk Lane, Hyde Heath, was grilled for a second day by defence counsel.

All five defendants were at Bicester Magistrates Court today to hear Veterinary expert Peter Green dismiss claims more than 100 horses could have been treated on the farm on the weekend of January 4 and 5 last year.

Mr Green was asked by defence counsel Mike Fullerton to “set aside” the presence of carcasses found in pens at the farm, in order to determine whether the other horses could have been treated there rather than removed by RSPCA officers.

However, Mr Green said: “How can we set aside the presence of 30 carcasses, 15 of which were fresh, and four horses dying?

“How can that be set aside is respect of assessment of the other animals?

“There was overwhelming evidence of unreasonable suffering on these premises.”

Mr Fullerton also asked Mr Green on the quality of the examinations given to the animals by RSPCA vets.

He said: “There was no detailed examination, no detailed history taken and no detailed clinical examinations in respect of each of the animals removed on the fourth or fifth of January. Is that correct?”

Mr Green responded: “No. I believe the examinations were thorough. I believe the record keeping was poor.

“We have heard from other witnesses they could not keep notes because their hands were full stethoscopes and other equipment.”

Five defendants, James Gray, 44, Julie Gray, 41, and Cordelia Gray, 20, all of Spindles Farm, Jodie Gray, 26, of Park Road, Ashford, Middlesex, and a teenager who cannot be named for legal reasons, all deny the charges.