Lydbrook man sentenced to a total of 56 days imprisonment for offences of animal cruelty

A Forest of Dean resident has pleaded guilty to three offences of animal cruelty at a court hearing today - for failing to ensure the welfare of an animal, namely two Collie dogs owned by Mr Barber.

Appearing at Cheltenham Magistrates court, Keith Barber of Joys Green Lydbrook was sentenced for these offences and also in relation to offences against Herefordshire and Gloucestershire County Councils - all relating to Animal welfare issues.  He was sentenced to 14 days imprisonment for breaching his suspended sentence, and 14 days for each of the other cases, making a total of 56 days he would spend in custody. He was also ordered to pay £415 in costs and a Victim Surcharge of £50 of which was payable to FODDC. He was also given a lifetime disqualification from keeping animals (with the exception of his pet dog).

The prosecution was brought by the Forest of Dean District Council’s Street Warden Team with the assistance of the Counter Fraud Unit, after finding Mr Barber’s dogs being kept in poor conditions on his small-holding in September 2018.

Visits were conducted after a complaint was received regarding a distressed dog barking on the site. The dogs were found to be housed in a small kennel with little exercise area, which prevented them from being able to foul and urinate away from their sleeping area.

In October 2018 a statutory improvement notice was issued to Mr Barber to make improvements to the site and the kennels in which the dogs were kept. After the notice was served further visits from the Street Warden Team in 2019 were conducted and only one dog remained on site, however the conditions had not improved even though an exercise area had been constructed. There were indications of rats on site with no evidence of vermin control. Close to where the dog was housed was a large muck pile, which the Wardens deemed was of concern to due to the risk of disease. There was evidence of pools of slurry and/or faeces on site. On another part of the farm, there was a lamb that was feeding from a trough from which rats were also feeding.

It was the Council’s opinion that whilst the Defendant initially complied with the first Improvement Notice by extending the kennel, his behaviour since then had shown a wilful refusal to attend to the basic needs of his dogs.

Mr Barber has previously been prosecuted by Gloucestershire Trading Standards in February 2019 and was banned from keeping livestock for 10 years. He was then prosecuted again in March 2020 for flouting a ban on keeping livestock and was sentenced to 18 weeks in prison suspended for 2 years with financial penalties.

Councillor Nicky Packer said, “We must do all we can to prevent animals being subjected to such neglect. I would like to thank everyone involved in investigating this case, and bringing this successful prosecution." 

“I also thank the public for their vigilance, and encourage anyone who has concerns about the welfare of an animal to report it to us so that the appropriate action can be taken.”

The prosecution was undertaken by Forest of Dean District Council’s Legal Services team working with the Council’s Street Wardens Team and Counter Fraud Unit (CFU).  Members of the public can contact the Council with any concerns about animal welfare by email [email protected] or the CFU by email at [email protected]