Trainer who left horse to suffer is banned (From The Northern Echo)

Trainer who left horse to suffer is banned

6:00am Saturday 14th November 2009 in

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A FORMER racehorse trainer has been banned from keeping horses for five years after one of his animals had to be put down because it had a maggot-infested leg wound.

Paul Johnson, 50, of Sunny Terrace, Stanley, County Durham, a former dentist, was also ordered to do 60 hours of unpaid community work and pay £4,650 in vet and court costs after admitting causing the horse unnecessary suffering.

Seven-year-old thoroughbred bay stallion Hans Christian was seized by the RSPCA after an inspector found it lame in one leg at Johnson’s farm, in Tantobie, near Stanley, in June 2007, Peterlee magistrates heard yesterday.

RSPCA prosecutor Denise Jackman said a vet considered the animal had suffered needlessly “for at least one month and in all probability considerably longer.”

She added that getting veterinary care would have prevented its suffering.

She also said the RSPCA incurred £24,000 costs challenging in the High Court a judge’s decision to throw out the case last year because it had taken too long to bring it to court.

Tim Ryan, for Johnson, said he had been going through a divorce, and was on holiday when the horse was seized.

Johnson, who had about 20 horses at the time, had noticed that it had a cut on its left foreleg the previous month and had treated it himself, thinking it would scab over and heal, said Mr Ryan.

He asked friends to look after the horses while he was away, and thought they would call the vet if there were problems.

Mr Ryan said Johnson, who had no previous convictions, did not co-operate with the RSPCA investigation because he did not want to get his friends in trouble.

He had sold the farm and his dental practice and was looking to start a new life, possibly abroad.

The case was causing him “shame and embarrassment”.

Chairman of the bench Roy Simpson told Johnson the total time of work he must do had been reduced from 90 hours because of his early guilty plea.

Afterwards, RSPCA inspector Tony Jackman said that the case sent out the message that owners had to live up to their responsibility of caring for their animals.

“This case has taken a lot of time and effort on our part and I am pleased that the RSPCA management has seen it through and have got it to this stage,” he said.