Animal cruelty charges revealed
New details have emerged about the prosecution of the son and husband of National MP Barbara Kuriger, both of whom are charged with animal cruelty offences. Court documents released to
on Monday show the pair are accused of ill-treating cows to the point where euthanasia was the only option for some of the animals. Louis Stephen Kuriger, Tony Michael Kuriger – the husband and son of the MP, respectively – and Lloyd Timothy Harris face 11 charges each.
A company they direct, which the MP part owns, Oxbow Dairies Ltd, faces the same charges.
The Taranaki-King Country MP, who is the National Party’s spokeswoman for rural communities, does not face any charges.
Although little information was available when the defendants had their first appearance in the Palmerston North District Court in February, can now reveal specifics about the charges.
The offences allegedly occurred between October 2016 and April 2017 at Hukanui, a small settlement just off State Highway 2 between Eketa¯ huna and Pahiatua in Northern Wairarapa.
Although the 11 different charges all relate to cows, they come under two broad categories – lameness and surgical bandages.
One charge alleges the trio and their company failed to ensure the health of 74 cows by failing to both protect them from, and diagnose them with, lameness.
They are also charged with reckless ill-treatment of 54 cows suffering from chronic lameness by failing to get them appropriate treatment. A different charge alleges 25 cows were recklessly illtreated to the point where they had to be euthanised.
Seven of the 11 charges related to surgical bandages not being removed from specific cows, with one of those cows having to be euthanised.
According to the charging documents, each of the company directors could be jailed for five years and fined $100,000 if found guilty of the most serious offences.
Oxbow Dairies could be fined $500,000. The case will be back in court April, with the defendants due to enter pleas.
In a statement made after revealed the court action, Barbara Kuriger said the charges would be defended.