James Gray found guilty on all counts
James Gray found guilty on all counts
| It was one of the worst cases of horse welfare abuse in UK history. 32 horses, ponies and donkeys were found dead and over 100 were removed from Spindles Farm in Amersham in January 2008. Sentencing will take place at Aylesbury Magistrates Court in four weeks time. Roly Owers, World Horse Welfare Chief Executive says: "World Horse Welfare is pleased that justice has prevailed and James Gray and his son have been found guilty on all counts. "This is the most high profile test of new legislation under the Animal Welfare Act 2006 and it must send a clear message that neglecting and mistreating horses in this way is totally unacceptable. |  |
 | "World Horse Welfare took in 11 of the Amersham horses and after lots of care and rehabilitation, we are pleased to say that they have all now recovered. If we are awarded permanent custody of the horses, we will be looking for loving new loan homes for them where they can look forward to a happy life far removed from the one they experienced in the hands of the Gray family." World Horse Welfare Field Officer Nick White, who was one of the first at the scene: "After seeing the conditions in the fields, it wasn't until I went into the yard that the enormity of it hit me... there were dead horses on the ground in front of me, and to the right. I looked across there was a dead horse in the stalls. It was like walking into another world. "There were none of the normal noises I associate with a stable yard - horses moving about, eating, drinking, calling out to one another or the gentle noises that horses make when approached, expecting to be fed or cared for. They were totally silent. Even the horses that appeared in better bodily condition seemed to be depressed, almost as if they had lost their dignity." |
Added on: 08/05/09.
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