CONVICTED (2022) | cattle farmer Wesley Gracey, born c. 1960, of Tehillah Farm, Moss-side of Gight, Fyvie, Turriff AB53 8LY – set about a distressed cow with an electric cattle prod.

“Over-exuberant” farmer Gracey, a partner in livestock firm W&J Gracey, misused an electric cattle prod on a “stubborn” cow, who suffered multiple lesions and bruising all over her body.

Gracey used the device on both sides of the animal’s neck, her ribs. and hind quarters during a cruel incident, which lasted approximately four minutes.

The cattle farmer resorted to the unlawful action after the cow refused to leave his truck at a slaughterhouse.

Gracey had driven six cows to the Scotbeef abattoir in Inverurie, where all but one of the cattle left the transporter.

Despite attempts to “cajole” the animal after she had sat down in the truck, she would not be moved.

But in turning to the use of a cattle prod, Gracey went well beyond what is legally allowed.

Fiscal Deputy Lewis Devoy told the court that the prod can only be used on an animal’s hindquarters and only for a maximum of one-second bursts.

The animal was eventually slaughtered in situ. A post-mortem found “multiple lesions” and bruising around the shoulders, neck, back and hindquarters, as a consequence of the electric prod.

Gracey admitted a charge under the Welfare of Animals (Transport) (Scotland) Regulations 2006 and the Animal Health Act 1981, of repeatedly applying the electric prod, causing suffering.

The farmer had also faced a charge under the Animal Health and Welfare (Scotland) Act 2006, of causing the cow unnecessary suffering with the prod and by repeatedly kicking it, but the Crown accepted his plea of not guilty.

A not guilty plea to a third charge of behaving in a threatening or abusive manner was also accepted.

Defence agent John McLeod said his client had “been a farmer for decades” adding that he buys and sells a “large volume of cattle” throughout the year. On this occasion he had been “overexuberant” in his use of the prod.

He concluded “There are half a dozen people visible in the CCTV observing all this going on, as if to suggest it’s a process not entirely unheard of.”

Sentencing | fined £790.

Press and Journal

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Wesley Gracey’s son James Gracey, a vet at the Meadows Veterinary Centre with branches in Oldmeldrum and New Deer, Aberdeenshire, has had his licence to practice suspended for six months by the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons (RCVS). His suspension came after he was found guilty of dishonesty and animal welfare charges in relation to cows owned by his father.

The RCVS found Gracey had signed Food Chain Information forms in relation to the cows without declaring any conflict of interest.

It was also found he had signed an emergency slaughter form stating a cow had not been administered treatment within the previous week when it had. On a separate occasion, he also signed a form stating a cow was fit for travel when it was not.

The RCVS found his conduct in relation to the proven charges risked undermining public health and animal welfare, and in relation to the emergency slaughter form his conduct was dishonest and misleading.

Gracey, who was born in Northern Ireland, lives at the Tehillah Farm, Turriff, Aberdeenshire AB53 8LY.

Full story: Press and Journal