CONVICTED (2017) | Lee Roberts, born 1 August 1985, of Grasmere Crescent, Kendal LA9 6LP – failed to seek treatment for a mare riddled with health issues

Roberts was found guilty of causing unnecessary suffering to a protected animal after his piebald mare pony, Brenda, was found vastly underweight and suffering with worms and lice.

The RSPCA brought charges against Roberts following a tip off from a member of the public that his pony, whom he had bought for £200 at Appleby Horse Fair, had delivered an aborted foal in a field at Underbarrow.

RSPCA inspector William Lamping told the court that he had attended the farm at Greenridge Mill and found the pony in ‘very poor condition’.

“We had a report of a mare that had aborted a foal in a field and was looking quite bad,” he said.

He described Brenda as ‘unresponsive’ and in a poor condition with her hip bones, spine and ribs clearly visible and she had diarrhoea staining around her rear.

Mr Lamping said Roberts was unaware the pony was pregnant and there was no sign of the foetus at the farm.

Roberts told the court he later found the aborted foal at approximately 11pm that evening, covered by leaves and grass.

Veterinary expert Jane King was called to assess Brenda and given Roberts’ confrontational demeanour, the police were called so the animal could be formally seized and placed into the care of the RSPCA, the court heard.

Mrs King told the court of the results of an examination carried out on the horse.

She said that when placed on the scales on September 22, she weighed just 188.5kg against an ideal weight of around 300kg.

She added that Brenda was suffering with diarrhoea – a potentially life-threatening condition in an adult pony – had a severe lice problem, and passed a large amount of parasitic worms after being administered wormer.

It was her view that Brenda had aborted the foal because of her deteriorating condition which was caused by the worm and lice infestation and would have passed the foetus in no more than two days after it died.

In contrast to the expert’s testimony however, Roberts, who said he had owned horses for five years, suggested it could have been dead inside Brenda for the preceding two weeks, causing her to become ill.

Throughout the hearing, Roberts insisted he had not caused Brenda to suffer and that he had done his best for her.

“I believe the foal died naturally but stayed inside Brenda which made her ill,” he said.

“I’m good with my horses – they’ve all been fine up to now. I feel Brenda was just ill but it was not caused by me.”

The charge of causing unnecessary suffering, between June 19 and September 19, 2016, related to Roberts’ failure to administer adequate worm treatment – it was accepted he had given treatment but it had not worked.

Roberts also denied two charges of failing to meet the needs of the animal that a responsible owner would be expected to do in the two weeks before RSPCA intervened.

These concerned the lack of investigation and response to Brenda’s weight loss and the lack of treatment to the lice problem.

Returning guilty verdicts to all charges, chairman of the bench Gary Ormondroyd said: “You may have attempted to protect Brenda from disease but this was ineffective.

“You should have sought professional veterinary advice, especially given the severity of the illness.

“You were complacent and misguided in your own capability to deal with sick animals.

“We are satisfied Brenda was suffering and in pain and it was caused by your failure to treat her.”

A deprivation order was made placing Brenda in the custody of the RSPCA, but magistrates declined to ban Roberts from owning animals. He was fined £1,350 and ordered to pay £1,000 costs and a £45 victim surcharge.

Westmorland Gazette