TWO LLANDYSUL brothers who were banned from keeping animals after being convicted of a string of cruelty offences have been jailed for breaking that order.

David Davies, aged 61, and Evan Meirion Davies, aged 50, of Penffynnon Farm, Bangor Teifi, Llandysul, were both charged at Aberystwyth Justice Centre with having been disqualified from owning animals, keeping animals, or participating in the keeping of animals, they broke that disqualification between December 31 last year and January 27.

The two men both denied the charge but were found guilty by the court.

Both men were sentenced to 12 weeks in prison, while a previous suspended sentence for the original cruelty offences was activated and they were both ordered to serve a further 12 weeks to run consecutively – a total of 24 weeks each.

The case had been brought by Ceredigion County Council and both brothers were ordered to pay costs of £425, along with a £122 victim surcharge.

The magistrates ruled that the brothers had shown a flagrant disregard for the court order and disqualification imposed and that it was a serious and persistent breach.

There was a serious risk of harm and possibly death to the animals due to the previous case.

The court also ruled that the care of the animals involved be handed over to the council and that the council be reimbursed for any expenses incurred in that respect.

The two brothers had pleaded guilty to 13 charges of animal neglect back in February 2019.

The prosecution followed a visit by animal health officers and an Animal and Plant Health Agency vet to the farm in April 2018. Officers found 58 cattle carcasses in various states of decay in the cattle sheds and surrounding fields.

The remaining cattle were housed in terrible conditions, with no food, water or dry lying area.

The vet confirmed that the cattle were being caused unnecessary suffering, and also formed the opinion that the dead cattle had also succumbed to the horrendous conditions found in the sheds and died of neglect.

The vet had to put down two cattle to stop further suffering during visits to the premises. It was described as the worst case of animal welfare neglect seen to date by the animal health team of Ceredigion County Council.

They brothers appealed the Magistrates’ Court sentence banning them from keeping animals for five years. A Swansea crown court judge dismissed that appeal.

In that judgement, the judge described the animal cruelty offences as ‘truly disturbing’.