Judge Mary Devins imposed a three month jail sentence on a farmer who failed to reduce the number of sheep on his lands to 100 after being found guilty in a cruelty case this week.
The defendant had been ordered to reduce his stock at a previous court sitting in Ballyhaunis District Court.
John Joe Mulkeen, Crimilin, Brickens, Claremorris, was not in court, because he had been admitted to Mayo General Hospital the previous evening, according to his solicitor Mr Evan O’Dwyer who was representing him in court on the day.
Department of Environment vet Mr Philip Breslin told the court that he carried out his last inspection on Mulkeen’s land at his home farm and on other rented land on May 29, where he found 234 adult sheep and 151 lambs on the lands, a total of 385 animals.
He said that having only 151 lambs with 234 adult sheep was not a profitable way of farming. Mr Mulkeen had previously said one of the reasons he had so many sheep was to make money, but he was not even farming profitably. Mr Breslin also stated that there were a number of cattle on the lands which looked to have been well cared for, but the sheep, which were a lower value animal, were still not being cared for properly.
Inspector Barry Foley made an application on behalf of the State for the seizure of the sheep for them to be sold, with the profits to be returned to Mulkeen after all fines and costs had been paid. This was granted by Judge Devins. She convicted and fined Mulkeen a total of €1,000 for two cases of animal cruelty, and sentenced him to two sentences of three months in prison, one of which is to be served concurrently.
