CONVICTED (2021) | Ricardo O James, born 14 February 1979, of 97 Bale Road, Leicester LE4 9BG – left dead animals to rot on his farm while others went without food or water.

Ricardo James, owner of James Farms, Keyham Lane East, Scraftoft, Leicester allowed his animals to suffer in poor conditions while leaving dead sheep and lambs in a plastic container on his land.

Leicestershire Trading Standards Animal Health Team officers and the Animal and Plant Health Agency (APHA) raised a number of concerns about the poor condition of the animals during a visit to the farm on November 3, 2020.

Several dead sheep and lambs were found in a blue plastic tub in an area where around 20 other sheep, seven cattle, 13 goats, 20 pigs and 12 geese were also being kept.

James was warned and advised to fix six issues which the inspectors had classed as ‘requiring improvement’.

But animal health team officers and APHA veterinarian then found the standards in which animals were being kept had “rapidly deteriorated” in several areas when they revisited the site on November 13, 2020.

A number of animals on the land had been left without fresh water, adequate food or suitable shelter.

“Of the six points of requiring improvement, only one had been acted upon,” a spokesperson for the county council said.

Mr James was then charged with ten different offences, which included:

• Failing to dispose of livestock animal carcasses without undue delay
• Two charges of failing to ensure the needs of the animals were met
• Failing to provide pigs with continuous access to fresh drinking water.
• Failing to provide livestock with buildings which could be thoroughly cleaned and disinfected
• Failing to provide pigs with accommodation with a covered floor
• Not providing a suitable environment to five cattle which had a poor body condition
• Not providing a suitable diet to five cattle with a poor body condition
• Not protecting five cattle with a poor body condition from pain, suffering, injury and disease.
• Failing to provide a sufficient number of skilled staff

Sentencing

James pleaded guilty to all 10 related offences and was sentenced to 12 weeks in custody, suspended for 12 months.

He was also handed a life disqualification from keeping and dealing in farmed animals, which in accordance with the law will be suspended for a 21-day period to allow the animals to be removed.

As part of his sentence, James will not be able to appeal for his disqualification to be lifted for five years,

He was also ordered to pay a victim surcharge of £128 and contribute £500 towards the prosecution’s costs. The Leicestershire County Council Trading Standards Service accepted a collection order of £75 per month with the first payment within 28 days.

Leicestershire Live