Men who carried out abuse of pigs are spared jail

THREE MEN secretly filmed carrying out the “relentless” abuse of pigs have been spared jail.

Some of the animals can be heard squealing in pain as they are kicked in the face and jabbed with pitchforks in footage which shows the full extent of their mistreatment by Troy Wagstaff, 30, Artis Grogprkevs, 32, and Gavin Hardy, 39.

The men were brought to justice after being covertly filmed in April last year by the group Animal Equality, which installed secret cameras at Fir Tree Farm in Goxhill, North Lincolnshire.

Members of various animal right’s groups were stood outside Grimsby Magistrates’ Court yesterday as the men appeared to be sentenced, having previously admitted causing unnecessary suffering to animals.

District Judge Daniel Curtis handed the trio sentences of eight weeks, suspended for 12 months, telling them: “Let me be very clear that the footage of the offences that you three have committed is sickening to watch.

“For people who have worked in this industry for many years, you should be ashamed.”

Wagstaff, of Chantry Lane, Grimsby; Grogprkevs, of Oak Road, Goole, East Yorkshire, and Hardy, of Greengate Lane, South Killingholme, North Lincolnshire, were additionally banned from working with commercial livestock in the future and ordered to complete undergo 100 hours of unpaid work.