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A farmer is appealing for witnesses after finding one of his sheep killed and slaughtered near his field in Edenderry, Co Offaly.
The attack was reported on Sunday 3 June, and gardaí suspect that more than one individual was involved in catching and butchering the sheep.
Part of the carcase was taken away
"The head was decapitated and it was done with a sharp knife by someone who knew what they were at," the farmer Evan Kelly told the Irish Farmers Journal.
A picture of the sheep./Evan Kelly
"It’s shocking that you can’t have your own livestock in your field and they can’t be safe.
"It’s fierce disheartening when you’re trying to make a living out of it for someone to come and do something like this."
An Garda Síochána described the attack as "gruesome" and said that nothing similar had ever happened in the area.
A picture of the sheep./Evan Kelly
“It wasn’t caught by dogs, it was obviously caught in the field and brought out,” a Garda spokesperson said.
“Part of the carcase was taken away and whoever did it obviously had knives with them to cut the sheep up.”
Anyone with any information about the incident is urged to contact Edenderry Garda station on 046-973 1290.
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