'Negligent beyond comprehension': Otago woman banned from stock ownership

Carolyn Ireland was sentenced over Animal Welfare charges after gross negligence on her coastal Otago farm. Photo / Rob Kidd

Warning: this story contains content some people may find upsetting.

An Otago woman who left thirsty and starving cattle to die on her farm was "negligent beyond comprehension", a vet says.

Carolyn Sybil Ireland (55) appeared in the Dunedin District Court today where she was fined $15,000 and banned from stock ownership for five years.

When animal welfare inspectors turned up at her Omimi farm (between Warrington and Karitane) they were met with a horrific scene.

The visit to the coastal 180ha property, on September 22 last year, was no surprise. Ireland had been warned a week earlier that officials would enter the property, and it came on the back of nearly a decade of "major animal welfare interventions".

They found nine dead cattle, most of which had likely been in that state for days.

One cow was found with her calf still trying to suckle from her emaciated carcass a short walk from the farmhouse, while another had died in the process of giving birth.

A third mature cow was so desperate for water she had broken her leg trying to get to a dried up creek.

The large amount of faeces indicated she had died days beforehand, inspectors said.

Others had clearly been "thrashing" while in the throes of death.

A couple of weeks after the first search warrant was executed, officials returned and mustered 108 animals to the yard for assessment.

However, some of them were either too weak to get there or too wild to be wrangled.

Four cattle had to be euthanised because their suffering was so great, the court heard.

Vets also found pregnant heifers, which, due to their small stature, could not have safely given birth.

"It would be a lingering, painful, and traumatic death for both the heifer and the foetus and yet fully avoidable," court documents said.

It was not the first time Ireland had been warned about the need to segregate bulls from heifers.

There had been three major interventions by the Ministry of Primary Industries since 2013 and numerous notices highlighting issues with food and water supply, and treatment of injuries.

As recently as 2019, inspectors identified eight animals for euthanasia because of unreasonable pain and distress.

One vet said the slow starvation of the cattle would be the most unpleasant experience and "that anyone responsible for the wellbeing of such animals had thoroughly abdicated their responsibilities and were negligent beyond comprehension".

Another, who had been at the property on the ministry's behalf eight years earlier, said he had seen little improvement in the conditions for the animals since then.

Despite earlier interventions it was Ireland's first time before the court.

Prosecutor Leonie Matehaere said the laying of criminal charges was "really a matter of last resort".

Ireland earlier pleaded guilty to three charges of reckless ill-treatment of animals and one of ill-treating animals, under the Animal Welfare Act.

The defendant, who was listed in court documents as a "caregiver", also admitted failing to register 21 animals under the National Animal Identification and Tracing Act.

Counsel Rachel Stedman accepted her client was "out of her depth" and overburdened, which had led to a strain on her mental health as problems compounded.

"There wasn't any premeditation involved, there wasn't any callous intent," she said.

The ministry sought reparation of $11,179 to cover veterinarian fees, cattle-yard hire, musterers and trailer hire, which was imposed by Judge Emma Smith.

The court heard 95 per cent of the animals had since been removed from the property.