A Teessider has been banned from keeping animals for 10 years after “abandoning” a foal, leaving it covered in diarrhoea and maggots.
Kevin Howe, 31, narrowly avoided prison after two horses were found tethered at an industrial estate in Thornaby. Teesside Crown Court heard a black cob foal named Jerry was found covered in maggots which took two days to remove.
The foal was emaciated, stained with faeces and suffering from tissue necrosis, the Middlesbrough court heard. Summarising the case on Thursday, Judge Jonathan Carroll said the RSPCA found the animals tied up on September 20, 2023, and described them as being “all but abandoned”.
He said: “The small yearling foal was examined and found to be visibly thin, covered in diarrhoea and maggots infecting its anus. It was struggling to stand due to physical weakness, was emaciated, dehydrated and its coat was in a poor condition with faeces staining down its back. There was also tissue necrosis.”
The court heard it took two days to remove all the maggots and Judge Carroll said the infestation must have lasted for at least five days. He added: “There is no doubt at all that this animal was significantly, profoundly, utterly and avoidably suffering.
“If you take on animal ownership you take on obligations and duties to see to their welfare at all times – even sometimes to your own personal inconvenience. This animal needed veterinary treatment and was being deprived of it.”
The Thornaby man pleaded guilty to causing unnecessary suffering to a protected animal. He admitted the charge on the basis that the cob had only been under his ownership for one week.
The court heard in an RSPCA interview the defendant was showing “either a complete lack of insight or a lack of care.” When confronted with potentially losing the animals, he said: ‘If I can’t get them back, I’ll go and buy another’.
However, according to a pre-sentence report he now recognises he is not in a position to be looking after horses. In mitigation, his barrister Tabitha Buck said there were no issues relating to the defendant’s other animals and stressed he only had the cob for a short period.
She added that the defendant has no previous relevant convictions. Howe was handed a 20-week prison sentence suspended for 18 months. He was ordered to complete 180 hours of unpaid work and ordered to pay £250 costs.
The Maltby Place defendant was also banned from keeping all animals for 10 years. Howe shook his head in court as the ban was read out.
Judge Carroll made an order allowing the RSPCA to remove any animals currently in his care. Teesside Live contacted the RSPCA for comment.
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