Feeble South Gippsland Shire councillor Jeremy Filthy rich has confronted court charged with 22 counts of animal cruelty after he allegedly didn’t esteem sheep that later died from flystrike.
Key aspects:
- A particular person charged with 22 counts of animal cruelty leaves court all over farm supervisor’s proof
- It’s alleged Jeremy Filthy rich didn’t prevent flystrike from affecting his flock of extra than 2,000 sheep
- Mr Filthy rich became as soon as generally warned by the magistrate about his habits within the court docket
WARNING: This text incorporates a graphic insist.
Mr Filthy rich appeared two hours slow to hiss himself at the listening to at the Latrobe Valley Magistrates Court docket on Tuesday and left the court docket after his objections to a gaze’s testimony were brushed aside by Justice of the Peace Tony Burns.
Prosecutor Liam McAuliffe from the Division of Jobs, Precincts, and Regions (DJPR) equipped five gaze statements alleging Mr Filthy rich didn’t effectively shear and drench the animals.
The court heard Mr Filthy rich’s fogeys owned a farm in Walkerville, in southwest Gippsland, which runs about 2,500 sheep and 250 cattle, as neatly as grows garlic and operates a winery.
Flystrike occurs when the eggs of the sheep blowfly, that are attracted to dags on unshorn sheep wool, hatch and begin to utilize the skin of the animal.
DJPR’s district veterinary officer William Hume instructed the court he attended the farm on lots of events from March to June 2020.
On his first search recommendation from, Mr Filthy rich became as soon as accountable for the farm.
The court became as soon as shown a video of the major lamb stumbled on by the veterinary officers, emaciated, dehydrated and drawing advance hunger.
Dr Hume euthanised the lamb and served Mr Filthy rich with a look to comply, ordering him to treat flystruck sheep on the property.
On one other search recommendation from, Dr Hume stumbled on a pit stuffed with up to 50 insensible sheep in varied states of decomposition.
“The photo presentations tyre marks from a heavy automobile and sand over carcasses of sheep,” Dr Hume’s observation read.
Justice of the Peace Burns described the photo as “in particular troubling”.
Mr Filthy rich selected to not answer to the DJPR’s quiz of for a formal interview.
Feeble supervisor speaks out
Feeble supervisor of the Walkerville farm Craig Pentecost became as soon as employed by Mr Filthy rich from Would possibly perchance well additionally 2019 till the cease of January.
“The entirety that became as soon as accomplished on the farm had to be jog previous Jeremy,” he instructed the court.
“Anything else over $100 had to be licensed by Jeremy.”
He acknowledged all over his employment he had raised concerns about animal welfare many times with Mr Filthy rich.
“In phrases of animal welfare, with the minimal financial enter that we had, we tried to withhold out essentially the most piquant lets,” Mr Pentecost acknowledged.
“Animal welfare came second to the sale and the earnings from the animals.”
Mr Pentecost instructed the court that working the total farm’s operations resulted in physical and mental neatly being challenges he had in no way earlier than experienced.
“Making an attempt to earn Mr Filthy rich to scheme shut is what resulted in my stress levels and my neatly being declining,” he acknowledged.
“We misplaced a fleshy gash of garlic on unique 365 days’s night as a result of a hail storm.
“I generally had a big distress, fear assault. I became as soon as taken to sanatorium with a blood stress of 290 over 190, the paramedic thought I could possibly possibly perchance perchance additionally aloof occupy had a stroke.”
Mr Pentecost instructed the court he became as soon as hospitalised for a day earlier than he returned to work, nevertheless the stress of the job soon returned.
“[Later in January] I had one other flip, they keep me on a mental neatly being belief and acknowledged I wasn’t to reach to work,” he acknowledged.
His wife Lynda Dean took on the working of the farm when her husband became as soon as hospitalised.
“I had my kids taken out of college to lend a hand me earn the extra work accomplished,” she instructed the court.
They were every later fired while on a time out to lend a hand Mr Pentecost decrease his stress.
“We were sitting there camping, and Craig got a textual deliver material asserting reach back, determined out the home,” she acknowledged.
The court seen textual deliver material messages from Mr Filthy rich to Mr Pentecost which stated the industry became as soon as $244,000 within the back of in projected earnings, earlier than factoring within the inability of the garlic gash.
Mr Filthy rich instructed the court the texts were “fabrications”.
Mr Filthy rich left the court docket earlier than the cease of Mr Pentecost’s proof, foregoing the chance to ghastly survey the dilapidated farm supervisor.
Contempt warning
Justice of the Peace Burns generally warned Mr Filthy rich over his habits within the court docket.
“That is your one warning, your habits is bordering on contempt of court,” he instructed Mr Filthy rich.
Mr Filthy rich became as soon as earlier requested to capture his hat when he entered the court room, and later modified it with a Jewish yarmulke.
“I’m half-Jewish, I wear a yarmulke half the time,” he instructed the court.
When requested by the magistrate the attach he had been, Mr Filthy rich acknowledged he had been waylaid taking care of his fogeys.
“I have been taking care of my elderly fogeys earlier than showing to fight these vexatious costs,” he acknowledged.
Mr Filthy rich selected to plug away the court docket after objections to witnesses were deemed injurious.
“Set up me in detention heart, leer if I care,” he acknowledged earlier than leaving.
“That will not be a court of law I recognize,” he acknowledged.
The listening to will continue on Wednesday.