Golcar farmer David Tweed’s sentence for animal cruelty halved

Apr 10 2010 By David Himelfield

A FARMER convicted of horrendous cruelty to his livestock has had his ban on keeping animals cut.

But David Tweed has also been ordered to remove all livestock from his Huddersfield farm within two months.

Tweed, 58, received a 10-year order banning him from owning livestock when he was convicted of animal cruelty by Huddersfield Magistrates on January 25.

But following an appeal yesterday at Bradford Crown Court a panel shortened the ban to five years.

Recorder Mark Bury said while a ban was necessary to protect livestock, a 10-year ban was ‘too long’.

Tweed, who has bred livestock at his farm on Drummer Lane, Golcar, for 40 years, must still pay £10,422 legal costs and complete 100 hours of remaining unpaid work on his 200-hour community sentence.

All livestock on his farm – 20 sows, 15 sheep and 17 cattle – must be removed from his farm within 55 days.

The case was the biggest ever animal welfare case brought by Kirklees Council.

The court yesterday heard Tweed, who admitted 37 charges, had kept pigs and sheep in appalling conditions.

Two rams had hooves which were so overgrown they were unable to stand, and horns so overgrown they had impaired their vision.

Animal carcasses were found around his farm, and pigs were found deprived of water and covered in blood from fighting each other.

The squalor was only discovered in February, 2009, when an animal welfare inspector visited to talk to Tweed about an overdue tuberculosis test which is compulsory for livestock.