Abattoir admits rules breach over buffalo killing

AN abattoir has admitted breaching animal welfare laws over the killing of a water buffalo at its premises.

The animal was shot three times by two slaughtermen at Wishaw Abattoir, Lanarkshire.

Under an agreement with government body Food Standards Scotland (FSS), one employee at the company, Philip Goodwin, had permission to kill water buffalo by shooting them through the back of the head.

But in July last year Mr Goodwin instructed another worker to take a second shot at the beast because he felt it had moved as he shot it.

Mr Goodwin, 64, then shot the buffalo a third time through the front of the head with a captive bolt gun as it lay unconscious.

He told investigators that he wanted to test how far the shot went in the front of the head to see if they could change their method of killing.

At Hamilton Sheriff Court, the company pled guilty to breaching the Welfare of Animals at the Time of Killing Regulations by not carrying out the slaughter of the water buffalo in accordance with agreed procedures.

The firm’s not guilty pleas to charges that it had caused the animal avoidable pain, distress or suffering were accepted.

Sheriff Douglas Brown admonished the company.

The court heard that water buffalo have to be shot through the back of the head as the front of their skull is much thicker than normal cattle.

Callum Anderson, defending, said: ‘It is accepted that the second shot was not in accordance with the standard operating procedure.

’With regard to the third shot Mr Goodwin believed the beast had been effectively stunned.’