Farmer avoids jail over cruelty but cops animal ban

A MIDLANDS chook fancier who pleaded guilty to more than 10 counts of cruelty to livestock has been banned from owning certain animals.

Ken rosendale pleaded guilty to multiple animal cruelty charges.

A MIDLANDS chook fancier who pleaded guilty to more than 10 counts of cruelty to livestock on his Levendale hobby farm has avoided going to jail but has been banned from owning certain animals.

In sentencing Ken David Pietters Rosendale, 52, to a three-month suspended jail term and a $3000 fine yesterday in Hobart, Deputy Chief Magistrate Michael Daly also banned the school groundsman from owning pigs and goats again.

Rosendale was also ordered to permanently limit his poultry flock to no more than 20 birds.

The court heard after RSPCA officers visited Rosendale’s Woodsdale Rd address, they found a number of animals so emaciated from malnutrition they were unable to stand and several pigs and goats had to be put down on site and later in Hobart after failing to respond to treatment.

Mr Daly described the “significant worm burden” of several animals and said a lack of food and water had permanently compromised the internal organs of some stricken beasts.

“Your view was that veterinary care was dispensable, I infer,” the Magistrate told Rosendale.

“You pleaded guilty, but only on the day of your trial, and have shown limited remorse.”

Mr Daly also ordered Rosendale to cover the $2000 costs the RSPCA incurred in removing and treating his affected animals.

Outside court, Rosendale said being labelled cruel was unfair.

“Anybody who knows me knows that’s not the case,” he said.

“And at the end of the day the RSPCA have a job to do, but I’m frustrated that only a percentage of the facts came out.”