An Orkney Islands councillor and farmer has been ordered to carry out 120 hours of unpaid work and will be under court supervision for two years after admitting to breaching animal welfare laws.
In December, councillor for Orkney’s East Mainland, South Ronaldsay and Burray James Moar, pled guilty to two charges dating back to spring last year.
This was around the same time the first-time councillor was elected to the council.
The 67-year-old had been accused of two breaches of the Animal Health and Welfare Scotland act 2006.
Two charges of breaching animal welfare laws
Both of the incidents took place at his home address in Deerness, where Mr Moar had around 50 cattle and a number of sheep.
He admitted to causing unnecessary suffering to two cows, between April 7 and May 5, 2022, by failing to provide them with veterinary treatment or pain relief for their foot infections.
He also failed to provide them with sufficient nutrition which led to them becoming emaciated and requiring euthanasia.
The second charge said he failed to ensure the needs of a number of cattle were being met.
He admitted to failing to provide them with comfortable, clean and dry resting areas; feed that was free of faecal contamination; and failed to seek veterinary treatment for their lameness.
This second offence took place between May 6 and 17 last year.
Mr Moar appeared for sentencing at Kirkwall Sheriff Court this morning.
Following his guilty plea in December, the court had deferred his sentence to see if there was any evidence of him improving the condition of his animals and making significant changes at his farm.
Further inspections from the Animal and Plant Health Authority (APHA) took place ahead of today’s sentencing.
Moar was ‘overloaded’ at time off offences says solicitor
According to Mr Moar’s solicitor, Tommy Allan, these found that significant improvements had been made and Mr Moar had taken the advice given by the inspecting bodies, such as the APHA and the SSPCA.
The solicitor said, at the time of the offences, Mr Moar had been running for council, while also working on his farm and as a builder.
This had resulted in “too many plates to spin” and Mr Moar becoming “overloaded.”
Mr Allan added: “Unfortunately, animals suffered as a result.”
According to the solicitor, Mr Moar has given up working as a builder. He also reduced his herd of cattle by 25% since the charges were issued.
The case had also already resulted in a financial penalty to Mr Moar, said Mr Allan, as his subsidy had been reduced as a result.
‘Significant improvement’ in condition of Orkney councillor’s cattle noted in recent inspection
In sentencing, Sheriff David Sutherland said the offences were “clearly serious matters” which had required the euthanasia of two cattle.
However, the sheriff called an AHPA inspection report from March 6 this year “most telling”.
He said it showed “matters have significantly improved since May 2022.
Sheriff Sutherland said the inspection noted “good body condition in regard to the cattle and sheep.”
As such, the sheriff did not call for Mr Moar to be disqualified from keeping animals.
Moar was sentenced to 120 hours of unpaid work to be completed within one year. He has also been put under two years of supervision.
The councillor has been ordered to take the advice of the AHPA and SSPCA in improving his farm.
Further 40 hours of unpaid work for previous assault charge
In a separate case, Mr Moar was also sentenced to a further 40 hours of unpaid work on a charge of assault dating to January 2021.
After a trial, Mr Moar was found guilty of assaulting a man at Stove Farm, in Deerness, by driving towards the man, while he was standing in front of the vehicle.
Mr Moar struck him with the vehicle, causing him to fall to the ground.
The sentence for the offence had been deferred for one year for Mr Moar to be of good behaviour.
