Banned cattle farmer kept 11 cows in one crammed pen

Eleven cows were found crammed into a pen full of deep manure and mud

Two farmers have been banned from keeping cattle after 11 cows were found crammed into a pen with only "highly soiled" water on offer.

Michael Babey, 69, and Julia Babey, 52, from Orcheston, Wiltshire, were sentenced at Salisbury Magistrates Court on Thursday for animal welfare offences. Both were disqualified from keeping all animals except dogs, cats and cockatiels for 10 years.

The court heard how Wiltshire Council officers found 23 cattle with no access to water, with one cow desperately licking an empty water container for five minutes.

Mr Babey was handed a 20-week prison sentence suspended for two years, while Mrs Babey was sentenced to a 12-month community order.

Mr Babey had already been banned from keeping cattle to prevent the risk of suffering to animals, following a previous disqualification from keeping horses in 2010.

After the ban, his wife became the owner of the cattle, and officers found that despite his disqualification he continued to tend to the cows.

During a visit in November 2023, and animal health officer and vet found 23 cows on the small site, with 11 kept in one pen covered in deep manure and mud with insufficient space for all of the animals to lie down at once.

They only had access to "highly soiled" water which was not of a good enough quality for the animals to drink, with a subsequent visit later in the same month finding conditions had not improved.

A following visit in January 2024, officers found 23 cattle with no access to water, with one cow observed to be licking from an empty water container for five minutes.

The vet who accompanied council officers stated that the animals were not being provided with sufficient water.

'Mistreatment of animals'

Parvis Khansari, a director at Wiltshire Council, said Mr and Mrs Baby had shown "little regard for the law and for the welfare of their cattle".

"I hope that the sentencing today sends a strong message that breaking animal welfare law and mistreatment of animals will not be tolerated in Wiltshire," he added.

Both Mr and Mrs Babey were found guilty of the most recent charges in March, with Mrs Babey having previously pleaded guilty in May 2024 to animal welfare offences and aiding and abetting her husband in breaching his disqualification order.

In addition to his suspended prison sentence, Mr Babey was ordered to pay costs of £5,000 and a victim surcharge of £154. Mrs Babey was ordered to pay a surcharge of £114, and costs of £200.