There was a virtual stand off at Mullingar District Court between a furious Judge Neilan and a man he described as “one of the meanest men” to come before him.
John McNamee appeared before the court without the compensation of €5,000 he had been ordered be paid as a donation to the ISPCA following his conviction last November for animal cruelty.
At the time the judge described as “appalling and putrid” a wound measuring nine inches by four inches on the leg of a mare owned by McNamee.
However the 77-year-old from Ladestown, Mullingar insisted that he couldn’t pay the compensation ordered and faced a five month prison sentence.
The judge, noting that he had 100 acres of land, livestock in a slatted shed, and money to feed them, as well as a number of other horses insisted that he had plenty of money and had not brought one cent to court.
He recalled how McNamee had taken issue with every matter raised by Brendan Hughes of the ISPCA and “totally disregarded” the horse’s injury.
Judge Neilan said the farmer had shown “no remorse, no contriteness” and made no offer to contribute a cent despite the work done by the ISPCA in healing the animal.
Describing McNamee’s behaviour in court as “truculent and belligerent,” he refused to accept solicitor Robert Marren’s submission that his client should not go to prison at his age.
“I couldn’t care less if he’s 77 or 107,” he said. “He can’t make a living on the backs of innocent animals”.
He described McNamee’s plea that he couldn’t pay as “a lame duck story” and added that “if he had an ounce of decency” he would make “a voluntary contribution in respect of the endeavours of the ISPCA” in dealing with the “horrendous injury”.
The judge expressed his disbelief when he heard McNamee could pay €5,000 in stud fees to put the mare in foal but could not pay compensation, describing him as showing “appalling arrogance”.
“You’re a very wealthy man,” the judge said. “There doesn’t seem to be a charitable bone in your body”.
“Maybe you think you’ll take it all to St Peter’s gate with you,” he added. “Good luck to you.”
In the witness box, ISPCA inspector Brendan Hughes rejected a number of claims made by McNamee, who already had a previous conviction for animal cruelty.
“It defies me as to why you are reluctant to part with some of your money,” said the judge adjourning the case to June to see what contribution Mr McNamee might be able to make by then.
The pensioner offered to sell cattle to meet the payment.
“No matter what way we approach the fence, we’re not going to jump it,” said the judge of McNamee, saying it was like trying to get blood from a stone because of his meanness, stubbornness, and lack of remorse.
