Man selling wild goat meat loses appeal

Photo / file

A man illegally selling wild goat meat for human consumption has lost his high court appeal against conviction.

Brian Terrence Crow, 64, was convicted of three counts of selling non-complying animal product by the Ministry for Primary Industries (MPI) in 2013.

He appealed the conviction but it was upheld by the High Court in New Plymouth on March 26 this year.

Evidence in the New Plymouth District Court on October 16, 2014 described Mr Crow and other parties rounding up and killing goats, skinning and gutting them and hanging them in a tree.

MPI kicked off an investigation into the slaughter and sale of goats at Mr Crow's Waitara home in Taranaki after receiving a tip-off in January 2013.

Investigators searched Mr Crow's house and found about $2000 in cash which Mr Crow referred to as "goat money".

They also found four deposit books dating back to 2005 showing more than $43,000 deposited with goats referenced on the pay stubs.

Mr Crow pleaded not guilty but was convicted and sentenced to 150 hours of community work.

Supplying meat for sale for human consumption is regulated by MPI.

Meat for human consumption must be sourced from appropriate MPI registered suppliers to ensure there are no poison residues and it is inspected and processed at a registered facility.

MPI compliance general investigator Niamh Murphy said the regulations were in place to ensure the meat was safe.

"These regulations are to protect the health of consumers and MPI takes any breaches very seriously," she said.

Contact the confidential MPI Foodline at 0800 693 721 if you suspect illegal home-kill sales.