A DISTRICT Court judge yesterday said it was clear that animals were left to “die and basically starve” on land belonging to a farmer in Pettigo.
Harrowing pictures of rotting animal carcasses were shown by Department of Agriculture inspector Brendan Daly to District Court judge Denis McLaughlin during the course of the hearing.
Donegal District Court was told that John Maguire, of Clonee House, Ederney, Co Fermanagh, is alleged to have committed the offences on his holdings at Gortinessy, Pettigo, and also on his holdings in Ballinla, Kinnegad, Co Westmeath.
Mr Daly inspected Mr Maguire’s farm as part of a cross-Border investigation on June 13th, 2007.
He observed “that a number of tags” had been removed. He also said he observed “bovine bones on the farm”.
On June 22nd he met Mr Maguire and discussed “a shortfall of 53 animals”.
He said: “If tags are interfered with, our national herd is at stake. It is important to tag animals at all times.”
He said that one carcass in particular had been “well-rotted” when he arrived to inspect the premises on August 28th since the time he had originally visited on July 2nd.
He said that the carcass had deteriorated to bone.
He also said the bovine bodies that had been collected from the farm had been “well-rotted” when they were eventually collected.
Solicitor for the defendant, Paudge Dorrian, said that his client had been exceptionally compliant throughout the investigation.
He said: “This man had the animals removed with the exception of one animal.
“Did he tell you that he didn’t know it was there?
“When he was alerted by the officials, he co-operated in every way he could.
“There was a delay in having the animals moved.”
The court heard that when the farm had been inspected by the officials three to four weeks later, everything had been put in order.
Mr Maguire is accused of failing to record the movement of his cattle on to the holdings.
He is also accused of having wrong tag numbers in breach of Bovine TB and Brucellosis in Cattle Orders.
Additionally, he is accused of failing to collect the carcasses of six cattle which died in some manner other than by having been slaughtered.
The offences are alleged to have happened on dates in October 2006, and February and June, 2007.
The judge adjourned the case to May 6th.
He stated that “the absolute and utter neglect of these animals” by Mr Maguire was clear from the photographic evidence handed into court.