Campbeltown Sheriff Court

Donkeys neglected at pensioner’s Kintyre farm

An anonymous call to the police led to the discovery of neglected animals at a Kintyre farm, Campbeltown Sheriff Court heard last week.

Seven donkeys at Tangymoil Farm, Kilkenzie, were in such bad condition that two had to be put down with the other five taken to a sanctuary to be nursed back to health.

Procurator fiscal depute David Glancy said all were suffering, in varying degrees, from lameness caused by badly overgrown hooves; malnutrition so bad that their back bones were visible and lice infestation so great that they suffered from dermatitis. The donkey’s teeth had not been filed. A series of photographs were shown to the court.

He said that a veterinary surgeon, who attended the farm along with SSPCA and local authority officials on March 26, 2019, concluded: ‘These issues were taking place over a period of many months and should have been obvious to anyone looking after the animals that they were matters which should have been addressed.’

Mr Glancy added: ‘No fault could be found with the other animals on the farm; it was the donkeys that had been neglected.’

Albert Sauer, the farmer, aged 85, was not present in court, but pleaded guilty to causing the animals unnecessary suffering by failing to provide appropriate care and treatment.

His defence agent, Ruben Murdanaigum, said that due to Covid-19: ‘He is under strict instruction not to leave his house.’

Mr Murdanaigum added that Sauer had lived at the farm for a number of years and had a limited pension. ‘His world consists of all these animals around him,’ he added.

The court heard that Sauer had difficulty in arranging for a farrier to attend to the donkeys and believed that he was caring for them.

‘He was very distressed; he is a caring man,’ said Mr Murdanaigum.

Sheriff Patrick Hughes deferred sentence until the October 15 court sitting for social reports and other reports from the appropriate authorities to assess Sauer’s ongoing ownership of the other animals on the farm.

Careless, not dangerous, pleads driver

A 43-year-old Campbeltown man denied that he had been driving dangerously in the early hours of a frosty morning along the A83.

William Thomas Kelly, of 97 Ralston Road, stood trial at the town’s sheriff court last week but part way through the proceedings he changed his plea to guilty to the lesser charge of careless driving and this was accepted by the court.

Kelly’s defence agent, Ruben Murdanaigum, told the court: ‘He has put his hands up; there was careless driving, but not dangerous.’ Kelly was fined £220 for driving carelessly, at a speed that was unsafe for the prevailing conditions, on April 11 last year, and was also disqualified from driving for four months.

Officers told the court they were stationary at the junction for the Kennacraig ferry terminal and the A83 when Kelly drove his Audi A3 past them at speed.

‘We never saw the car again until we reached Campbeltown, outside his home,’ said Constable Alan Wallace. ‘The road was sparkling with frost, we fully expected to find the car off the road in a ditch.’

He radioed ahead to other officers who then waited at the junction of the A83 and the road to the Sound of Kintyre; the times of the two sightings of the car and the distance travelled were used to calculate the speed at which Kelly was driving.

Sheriff Patrick Hughes said the fine sent a message that poor driving of any kind would not be tolerated.

Man admits assaulting woman

A Campbeltown man, appearing before the town’s sheriff court last week, admitted striking his partner.

Sheriff Patrick Hughes called for reports to be prepared on Alan Sinclair, aged 39.

Sinclair, of 18 Crosshill Avenue, got into an argument with the woman on January 19 after they had both been out; he pleaded guilty to causing assault to injury at an address in the town. ‘An argument developed,’ said procurator fiscal depute David Glancy. ‘Neighbours could overhear what had happened. Following the assault she ran from the house to neighbours; she was upset and shaking and said “He hit me”.’

When the case is called again on October 15 Sheriff Hughes will hear also from Sinclair’s defence agent.

Driver fined £200

A police vehicle had to take evasive action to avoid being in a collision, Campbeltown Sheriff Court heard last week.

James Crawford Anderson, aged 56, of 110 Sound of Kintyre, pleaded guilty to careless driving on December 9 last year when he failed to moderate his speed when negotiating a junction.

The court heard that his car crossed into the opposing carriageway and into the path of an on-coming police vehicle on the Sound of Kintyre road.

Defence agent Stephen MacSporran said his client, an essential worker, had taken the incident as ‘a wake-up call for his driving’.

Sheriff Patrick Hughes fined Anderson £200 with a fourpoint licence endorsement.