A British farmer has been ordered to pay £30,000 (€35,000) after his herd of Limousin crossbred cows killed one walker and seriously injured another.
Brian Godwin (83) was prosecuted by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) after his 31-cow herd attacked walkers on four separate occasions, The Telegraph has reported.
In 2013, Professor Mike Porter was killed when he was trampled by Godwin’s cows on his 400-acre farm at Turleigh, near Bradford-on-Avon in Wiltshire.
Another attack resulted in a dog walker suffering a broken neck.
Godwin had been warned by the HSE on two occasions to offer more protection to dog walkers on his farm. He was asked to put up electric fencing and signs warning of "cows with calves" but he failed to take action.
Godwin pleaded guilty at Swindon Crown Court to a breach of his general duty of controlling his livestock. In addition to the £30,000 fine and payment of court costs, he was given a 12-month jail sentence, suspended for two years on account of his age.
The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) described Goodwin's cattle as a particularly aggressive foreign crossbreed that had become conditioned to attack the public when trying to protect their calves.
HSE inspector Dawn Lawrence said: “Once the cattle had attacked it can become learned behaviour. They preferred fight to flight when protecting their calves.”
Read more
Worry after hillwalker wins €40,000 compensation
A British farmer has been ordered to pay £30,000 (€35,000) after his herd of Limousin crossbred cows killed one walker and seriously injured another.
Brian Godwin (83) was prosecuted by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) after his 31-cow herd attacked walkers on four separate occasions, The Telegraph has reported.
In 2013, Professor Mike Porter was killed when he was trampled by Godwin’s cows on his 400-acre farm at Turleigh, near Bradford-on-Avon in Wiltshire.
Another attack resulted in a dog walker suffering a broken neck.
Godwin had been warned by the HSE on two occasions to offer more protection to dog walkers on his farm. He was asked to put up electric fencing and signs warning of "cows with calves" but he failed to take action.
Godwin pleaded guilty at Swindon Crown Court to a breach of his general duty of controlling his livestock. In addition to the £30,000 fine and payment of court costs, he was given a 12-month jail sentence, suspended for two years on account of his age.
The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) described Goodwin's cattle as a particularly aggressive foreign crossbreed that had become conditioned to attack the public when trying to protect their calves.
HSE inspector Dawn Lawrence said: “Once the cattle had attacked it can become learned behaviour. They preferred fight to flight when protecting their calves.”
Read more
Worry after hillwalker wins €40,000 compensation
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