Gisburn, Clitheroe: Christopher John Raw

CONVICTED (2018) | livestock centre foreman Christopher Raw, born c. 1978, of Gisburn Road, Clitheroe BB7 – allowed a lamb with a broken back to suffer for 29 hours at an auction mart

Christopher John Raw

Raw, a yard foreman with Gisburn Auction Mart, pleaded guilty to causing unnecessary suffering to an animal.

Blackburn magistrates said the lamb was described as “shivering, trembling and fitting” after Raw had been moved it to an isolated shippon.

But it was not until the following day when another member of staff persuaded the manager to come and look at the animal that it was shot to put it out of its misery.

Nick McNamara, prosecuting for Lancashire Trading Standards, said the incident happened at Gisburn Auction Mart in December 2016. The lamb had been trapped in a gate as it was being penned on a Saturday.

“It was destroyed on the Sunday which means it went untreated for 29 hours,” said Mr McNamara. “We say this was a prolonged period of suffering for an animal. We say a vet should have been arranged immediately or the animal should have been put out of its misery immediately.”

Mr McNamara said a post-mortem examination showed the lamb’s spinal cord had been completely fractured and the animal would have been in pain right up to the moment it was destroyed.

Mr McNamara said it was accepted Raw had told Thomas Robinson, the chairman of the directors, and another director. Robinson had told him to move the animal to a quiet place and monitor it.

“Neither of the directors went to examine the animal,” said Mr McNamara.

Paul Huxley, defending, said his client had sought assistance and advice from Robinson, of Catlow Farm, Clitheroe, who faced a similar charge but has pleaded not guilty (no update on his case found).

“He sought that assistance from his boss,” said Mr Huxley. “He raised concerns, as he had been told to do, and Mr Robinson said bed it down, give it food and water and lets see how it goes. He did exactly that, rightly or wrongly.”

Mr Huxley said his client didn’t want to push all the blame onto the company and accepted he should have used his initiative more when he checked on the animal and saw it hadn’t moved.

“Not for a second did he want that animal lying there in pain,” said Mr Huxley. “He was well intentioned but incompetent and bitterly regrets that day.”

Sentencing: three-month curfew; total of £1,085 costs and charges.

Lancashire Telegraph

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