Animal cruelty: Donegal farmer banned from keeping animals for ten years

A Donegal man has been banned from keeping animals for ten years after appearing in court on animal cruelty charges described by a District Court Judge as ‘horrendous’.

Leslie Stewart appeared at Letterkenny District Court on charges relating to various dates when his farm at The Thorn, Letterkenny was visited by animal welfare officers.

The court heard that 74-year-old Stewart previously received a suspended prison sentence and was banned from keeping animals for two years in 2016 for starving animals on his farm.

Since then, animal welfare officers have been monitoring Stewart and paid several visits to his farm.

On a number of different dates, officers found animals in various states of distress as a result of Stewart's cruelty.

The offences date between May, 2019 and April, 2021.

Carcasses of dead sheep were found on his lands with dogs nearby.

He was also charged with keepings pigs in a trailer without enough water, keeping dogs in a van without water and keeping poultry in a small locked trailer without water.

Judge Éiteáin Cunningham said the case was ‘horrendous’ and ‘disturbing.’

Stewart was fined €1,500 and banned from keeping animals for ten years with Judge Cunningham saying the defended had ‘clearly not learned’ from his previous experience.

Judge Éiteáin Cunningham (North West Newspix)

A four-month prison sentence was handed down with that term suspended for 12 months.

The court heard that Stewart was leasing 33 acres of land and Judge Cunningham said that Department of Agriculture officials were to be given copies of the lease agreements. Any animals on the land, believed to be two dogs and some poultry, are to be seized by officials from the Department. Department officials and Kevin McGinley, a Donegal-based ISPCA Senior Inspector, were in court for Judge Cunningham’s verdict.

Previously, in 2016, Stewart was banned from keeping animals for two years after ISPCA officers found horses and donkeys starving with some of the animals having to be put down.