The Country
  • The Country home
  • Latest news
  • Audio & podcasts
  • Opinion
  • Dairy farming
  • Sheep & beef farming
  • Rural business
  • Rural technology
  • Rural life
  • Listen on iHeart radio

Subscriptions

  • Herald Premium
  • Viva Premium
  • The Listener
  • BusinessDesk

Sections

  • Latest news
  • Coast & Country News
  • Opinion
  • Dairy farming
  • Sheep & beef farming
  • Horticulture
  • Animal health
  • Rural business
  • Rural technology
  • Rural life

Media

  • Podcasts
  • Video

Weather

  • Kaitaia
  • Whāngarei
  • Dargaville
  • Auckland
  • Thames
  • Tauranga
  • Hamilton
  • Whakatāne
  • Rotorua
  • Tokoroa
  • Te Kuiti
  • Taumurunui
  • Taupō
  • Gisborne
  • New Plymouth
  • Napier
  • Hastings
  • Dannevirke
  • Whanganui
  • Palmerston North
  • Levin
  • Paraparaumu
  • Masterton
  • Wellington
  • Motueka
  • Nelson
  • Blenheim
  • Westport
  • Reefton
  • Kaikōura
  • Greymouth
  • Hokitika
  • Christchurch
  • Ashburton
  • Timaru
  • Wānaka
  • Oamaru
  • Queenstown
  • Dunedin
  • Gore
  • Invercargill

NZME Network

  • Advertise with NZME
  • OneRoof
  • Driven Car Guide
  • BusinessDesk
  • Newstalk ZB
  • Sunlive
  • ZM
  • The Hits
  • Coast
  • Radio Hauraki
  • The Alternative Commentary Collective
  • Gold
  • Flava
  • iHeart Radio
  • Hokonui
  • Radio Wanaka
  • iHeartCountry New Zealand
  • Restaurant Hub
  • NZME Events

SubscribeSign In

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Home / The Country

Northland share milker denies animal abuse charges

Imran Ali
By Imran Ali
Multimedia Journalist·Northern Advocate·
19 Jun, 2019 06:00 AM2 mins to read

Subscribe to listen

Access to Herald Premium articles require a Premium subscription. Subscribe now to listen.
Already a subscriber?  

Listening to articles is free for open-access content—explore other articles or learn more about text-to-speech.
‌
Save
    Share this article
Video footage showing Luke allegedly using a steel pipe on cows on a Mangapai property. Photo/Supplied

Video footage showing Luke allegedly using a steel pipe on cows on a Mangapai property. Photo/Supplied

A Northland sharemilker who was secretly filmed allegedly violently and repeatedly hitting cows with various weapons, including a steel pipe, has pleaded not guilty to charges in court.

Mike Luke, 61, of Mangapai, is facing six charges relating to the ill treatment of animals under the Animal Welfare Act.

The charges were laid by the Ministry for Primary Industries (MPI) late last year after receiving footage of Luke allegedly hitting cows with a pipe and other implements on a Mangapai property, including in the milking shed.

Footage of the alleged abuse was covertly recorded by farm animal advocacy group Farmwatch which showed the animals being hit on the head and legs with farm tools and
weapons.

MPI had earlier investigated claims that Luke had struck cows on the rump with a length of plastic pipe, but ceased its inquiry because of a lack of evidence.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

Farmwatch had been gathering evidence since May last year and then passed fresh alleged evidence to MPI, asking it to undertake another investigation that resulted in the charges.

The animal advocate demanded MPI be stripped of its animal welfare responsibilities and an independent animal welfare ministry be set up instead. It also called on the government to strengthen the Search and Surveillance Act so that cameras can be placed in all dairy sheds and slaughterhouses.

The unidentified farm owner at Mangapai issued a statement through Dairy NZ, saying as life-long and committed dairy farmers they were shocked and deeply saddened by the video footage.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

Luke had been removed from all duties requiring unsupervised contact with stock as soon as the video footage came to light.

He will re-appear for a callover in the Whangārei District Court on July 5.

The maximum penalty for the wilful ill-treatment of an animal is five years imprisonment or a fine not exceeding $100,000 for an individual, or both, and $500,000 for a body corporate.

Discover more

How to cope with winter

19 Jun 09:58 PM

'Shocking outcome': SAFE slams sharemilker's sentence

08 Jul 09:00 PM
Save
    Share this article

Latest from The Country

The Country

'Just a carb': NZ's most popular but misunderstood vege

The Country

'Farmluencer' creates online community for female farmers

Premium
The Country

Pie maker's despair as cost of mince up as much as 40% on previous year


Sponsored

Farm plastic recycling: Getting it right saves cows, cash, and the planet

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

Latest from The Country

'Just a carb': NZ's most popular but misunderstood vege
The Country

'Just a carb': NZ's most popular but misunderstood vege

NZ potato growers are working to lift the image of our most-eaten vegetable.

12 Aug 10:48 PM
'Farmluencer' creates online community for female farmers
The Country

'Farmluencer' creates online community for female farmers

12 Aug 10:38 PM
Premium
Premium
Pie maker's despair as cost of mince up as much as 40% on previous year
The Country

Pie maker's despair as cost of mince up as much as 40% on previous year

12 Aug 06:00 PM


Farm plastic recycling: Getting it right saves cows, cash, and the planet
Sponsored

Farm plastic recycling: Getting it right saves cows, cash, and the planet

10 Aug 09:12 PM
NZ Herald
  • About NZ Herald
  • Meet the journalists
  • Newsletters
  • Classifieds
  • Help & support
  • Contact us
  • House rules
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms of use
  • Competition terms & conditions
  • Our use of AI
Subscriber Services
  • NZ Herald e-editions
  • Daily puzzles & quizzes
  • Manage your digital subscription
  • Manage your print subscription
  • Subscribe to the NZ Herald newspaper
  • Subscribe to Herald Premium
  • Gift a subscription
  • Subscriber FAQs
  • Subscription terms & conditions
  • Promotions and subscriber benefits
NZME Network
  • The New Zealand Herald
  • The Northland Age
  • The Northern Advocate
  • Waikato Herald
  • Bay of Plenty Times
  • Rotorua Daily Post
  • Hawke's Bay Today
  • Whanganui Chronicle
  • Viva
  • NZ Listener
  • Newstalk ZB
  • BusinessDesk
  • OneRoof
  • Driven Car Guide
  • iHeart Radio
  • Restaurant Hub
NZME
  • About NZME
  • NZME careers
  • Advertise with NZME
  • Digital self-service advertising
  • Book your classified ad
  • Photo sales
  • NZME Events
  • © Copyright 2025 NZME Publishing Limited
TOP