Free-range pig farmer admits cruelty
Nicholas Stickings, director of the Cornish Pig Company, kept animals covered in lice, with mud to drink and carcasses littering the farm.
Stickings, who toured farmers' markets and promised "uncompromised quality" now has to dispose of all his animals and is banned from pig farming for 10 years.
Jonathan McCulloch, one of the animal health inspectors who visited the farm several times last winter said after the hearing: "These pigs were kept in disgusting conditions.
"We found the carcasses of six animals lying in the fields. A further five had to be put down on welfare grounds. These are the worst conditions I have ever witnessed."
Stickings, sole director of the Cornish Pig Company, pleaded guilty to 14 offences under the Animal Welfare Act 2006 and a further two matters under the Animal By-Products Regulations 2005.
On Friday, at Truro Crown Court, Judge Christopher Elwen fined Stickings £14,500 and ordered him to pay prosecution costs of £4,000. He also disqualified Mr Stickings from owning, keeping, dealing in or transporting any pigs for 10 years.
A spokesman from Cornwall County Council's Trading Standards Service said that officers visited Tresorn Farm, accompanied by veterinary officers from Defra, and found numerous problems.
The spokesman said: "They gave verbal and written advice to Mr Stickings, but the conditions did not improve, leaving the council with no option but to prosecute."
Stickings, a former mobile phone salesman, moved to Cornwall in 2004 and started a free-range pig farm despite having no previous farming experience.
Stuart Benson, acting head of Trading Standards, said after the hearing: "These pigs were kept in wholly inadequate conditions. They were lice-ridden, in danger of wounding themselves from nails and broken corrugated iron, and some were unable to drink.
"Dead animals were scattered about decomposing. Injured animals were left untended, and were bullied and pushed from pillar to post by their fellows."
The Cornish Pig Company catering van appeared regularly at food fairs throughout the region such as the Taste Of The West Wine and Food Fair in Saltash and the Royal Cornwall Show.
The company website describes itself as being "extremely confident in their produce of pork achieved from their rare breed of large black pigs traditional to Cornwall and Devon."
It goes on to state: "Our free range pigs are raised and reared on the rolling hillside of the sleepy Bissoe Valley. All our pork sold under the Cornish Pig Company label is reared on our farm ensuring uncompromised quality."
The farm had previously received European funding from Objective One.
Ken Yeo, Cornwall County Council's public protection portfolio holder said: "True farmers spend a lifetime learning their trade, and work hard at all hours and in all weathers to care for their animals.
"It is an insult to them for someone like this to call himself a farmer."
Mr Stickings now has 28 days to dispose of his pigs, and six months to pay the fines and costs.
