Slaughterhouse boss and workers sentenced for animal welfare breaches
Company director at the Bowood Farms abattoir, William Woodward, and three workers have been sentenced for causing unnecessary suffering to animals after they were secretly filmed mistreating sheep.
Woodward was sentenced to 20 weeks imprisonment – suspended for 12 months – and given a 250 hours unpaid work community order.
He was also disqualified under the Animal Welfare Act (AWA) from having influence or control over sheep along with £5,000 court costs.
Company director at the Bowood Farms abattoir and three workers have been sentenced for causing unnecessary suffering to animals.*
In addition, abattoir worker Artur Lewandowski was given a 150 hours unpaid work community order, as well as an indefinite disqualification order under the AWA for control over sheep. He was also ordered to pay £100 court costs.
Fellow workers Kabeer Hussain and Kazam Hussein were given 16 weeks and 18 weeks (suspended for 12 Months) along with a 250 hours unpaid work community order; both were also disqualified under the AWA of control over sheep and were ordered to pay £500 court costs.
The prosecution commented that Woodward had “simply turned a blind eye to the animals” welfare at his slaughterhouse.
The Food Standards Agency (FSA) noted it welcomed the decision, with Colin Sullivan, chief operating officer at FSA, adding: “The Animal Welfare Act puts clear rules in place as to how animals should be treated but these defendants chose to ignore the regulations, in the process inflicting unnecessary suffering on the animals.
“We hope this sends a clear message to other abattoirs that fail to uphold the required standards: we will investigate and we will look to prosecute.”
*The picture is a stock abattoir image, not depicting Bowood Farms.
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