A cattle farmer convicted of neglect has been told to “accept responsibility” after judges rejected his legal bid to overturn a ban on him keeping animals.
Archiebald Boreland was hit with the prohibition order after a trial at Perth Sheriff Court, which heard that many of the cows at his Abernyte farm were emaciated and living in squalor.
Three heifers at the site were in such poor condition they had to be destroyed.
The 72-year-old and his 70-year-old brother, James, were fined £1,250 and prohibited from owning or looking after any animals apart from two domestic cats for five years.
Boreland took his case to the Court of Criminal Appeals in Edinburgh and argued that the sentence was too severe despite a statement from animal charity the Scottish SPCA which said that it would have supported a lifetime ban.
Boreland’s argument has now been rejected by judges who dismissed the appeal.
The charity’s chief inspector Brian Cowing said afterwards: “This was a case of gross neglect and we are pleased Archiebald Boreland’s appeal has been rejected by the court.
“Boreland showed ill-judgment and a complete lack of competency in relation to the management of his livestock.
“Many of the cattle were showing clear signs of internal parasites, such as worms and liver fluke, and the buildings they were housed in were completely inadequate.”
He added: “We hope Boreland will use the remainder of his five-year ban to accept responsibility for his actions and consider whether he should take on any more animals in future.”
The Boreland brothers were found guilty of a charge that on May 9 2012, being responsible for 93 cows and calves, they failed to provide adequate water and nutrition for them and failed to provide a suitable environment in that the building they were housed in had inadequate makeshift pens and the floor was covered in slurry and debris.
The pair had been warned about conditions on their farm but had failed to take action.
Several witnesses during the trial, including vets and Scottish SPCA officers, said they were shocked by the state of the Borelands’ scrawny herd.