Vale of Glamorgan horse trader Tom Price jailed for animal cruelty

A horse trader has been jailed and banned for life from keeping animals after being convicted of causing unnecessary suffering to animals.

Tom Price, 56, of Bonvilston, Vale of Glamorgan, was sentenced to six months in a case brought by three councils.

A total of 240 horses were taken into care after they were found in atrocious conditions, Merthyr Tydfil Magistrates' Court heard.

A flock of sheep in a poor state of health was also rescued.

The court was told animal welfare officers discovered the sheep at Swn y Mor near Wick, Vale of Glamorgan, in August 2019.

Despite the time of year, the sheep were unshorn and suffering from maggots and associated wounds, meaning many had to be put down.

In January 2020, officers found horses were being kept in appalling conditions at three sites in Swn y Mor, Bonvilston and Coity, Bridgend.

Animals were found in deep mud with no food and a lack of clean water. Two sites had metal and barbed wire hazards and at one site horses were kept in overcrowded, filthy conditions with nowhere to lie down.

Price was charged with causing unnecessary suffering to eight horses, some of which were significantly underweight, while others had long-standing wounds caused by ill-fitting rugs.

The court heard he had a history of prosecutions for mistreatment and had previously been banned from keeping animals for five years after being found guilty of 57 animal welfare and cruelty charges.

He was found guilty of 32 charges of causing unnecessary suffering to horses and sheep.

His partner and co-defendant, Luanne Bishop, had previously pleaded guilty to 31 of the same charges.

She was given a 12-week prison sentence, suspended for 12 months, and disqualified from keeping animals for life, except for a number of specified pets.

The latest prosecution was brought by Shared Regulatory Services, a body formed by Cardiff, Bridgend and Vale of Glamorgan local authorities to provide environmental health, trading standards and licensing services.

Its head, Dave Holland, said Price had a track record of mistreating animals.

"The decision to hand down a prison sentence and the lifetime disqualification reflects the seriousness of these offences and the extreme suffering Mr Price was responsible for," he said.

"Not only do Mr Price's practices harm animals, they also cause problems for the wider communities as animals were often allowed to stray or fly-graze on land that he did not own."

The horses were taken into the care of the Redwings horse rescue charity.

Senior vet Nic de Brauwere said: "This is by no means the first case Redwings has dealt with involving horses from this owner and the sheer amount of charity time, energy and resources that we have invested in protecting these animals over the years is difficult to put into words.

"Efforts are now underway to rehome the horses, who have since been brought back to full health."