Judge imposes 'alcohol ban' on farmer

A district court judge yesterday imposed an effective alcohol ban on a 65-year-old bachelor farmer after he heard that the farmer had left sheep to die of neglect on his farm.

At Ennis District Court yesterday John Joe Markam of Creevagh, Quin, Co Clare, pleaded guilty to cruelty to animals and failing to bury an animal carcass at his farm on July 21st last. Garda Vincent Walsh told the court that following a call from Clare's ISPCA officer, Mr Frank Coote, he visited Markam's farm on July 21st where he found five dead sheep in various stages of decomposition. He said five other sheep, who were alive, had gross infestation of maggots and a veterinary surgeon was called to put them down.

Mr Bill Loughnane, for Markam, told the court his client has been struggling with an alcohol problem for a long time. He said Markam had been off drink for a time, but resumed in March last year.

"When he drinks, he drinks all hours and renders himself incapable of managing his farm." Mr Loughnane said Markam had been off drink since last October and had made a vast improvement in the management of his affairs.

Judge Joseph Mangan adjourned the case for two months and ordered that Markam provide two urine samples each week for the next four weeks to be tested for alcohol. He was also ordered to provide a professional report on his alcohol abuse and to provide a probation report in court on June 4th.