It’s in the blood: DNA test solves two-year mystery of stolen heifer
A COW’S DNA has been used as evidence by police for the first time to solve a mysterious theft as a farmer admitted stealing his neighbour’s heifer.
Officers from Dyfed-powys Police in Wales obtained a warrant for a blood sample from the £3,000 animal to prove it was related to cows in a nearby field.
David Aeron Owens, 51, had claimed the cow belonged to him, producing a fake animal passport and tampering with its ear tag to support his claims.
But the forensic evidence gathered during a two-year investigation proved otherwise, and he admitted theft at Swansea Crown Court on Monday.
Pc Gareth Jones, who led the investigation, said: “This has been a long and protracted inquiry and it has taken a lot of work and patience to get to this point. Without the use of the heifer’s DNA, we would not have been able to prove it had been stolen by Mr Owens.”
The owner of the heifer, from St Clears in Carmarthenshire, first reported one of his 300-strong herd stolen in December 2017, four months after it had disappeared from its field.
Owens initially denied the missing animal was on his property, then later tried to claim it was his. When the blood sample was taken, he began legal proceedings against the force, claiming it was unlawfully obtained because he had not given his consent. A judicial review found the force had acted lawfully. After admitting the theft, Owens was fined £4,000 with £500 costs.
Pc Jones said: “What this case shows us is that where the farming community works with the police, reporting crimes and providing us with vital information, we can be successful in taking out prosecutions.
“I echo the comments made by the judge who said Mr Owens, as a farmer, would be well aware of the need for a level of trust in the rural community. He has played a part in breaking down that trust, which will be difficult to build back up.”
The National Farmers’ Union (NFU) praised the police and encouraged other forces to take advantage of DNA testing to solve countryside crimes.
Sam Durham, the NFU’S chief land management adviser, said: “The NFU supports police forces having access to all the latest methods and technology to catch criminals committing rural crime and we would encourage police forces to look into techniques such as DNA evidence.
“Rural crime remains one of the most pressing issues for farmers, and it can have devastating effects on farm businesses.”
In 2017, Dyfed-powys Police became the first force to secure a conviction against a man for handling stolen sheep using blood samples that proved they were related to the rest of the victim’s flock.