Hobby farmer facing jail time to withdraw guilty pleas to dozens of animal cruelty charges

A Levendale hobby farmer says he plans to withdraw his guilty pleas to dozens of animal cruelty charges.

• Talking Point: Shocking figures reveal toll of stress on police force
• Motorbike thief struck a police constable and sent him flying

A MIDLANDS hobby farmer who previously pleaded guilty to 30 animal cruelty charges says he plans to withdraw his pleas now that he faces the prospect of jail time.

Ken David Pietters Rosendale, 58, confessed in December last year to leaving an array of animals on his 94-acre Levendale property without water, feed or both – and leaving others locked in faeces-ridden cages.

At the time, Magistrate Chris Webster said he planned to punish Mr Rosendale with a six-month jail sentence – with three months suspended – or a 12-month home detention order if he was deemed suitable, plus an indefinite order to never again own animals.

But on Thursday, the Hobart Magistrates Court heard Mr Rosendale had been assessed as not suitable for a home detention order and he now planned to withdraw his pleas of guilty.

Mr Rosendale indicated he may now take the matter to a contested hearing – with a new lawyer and before a different magistrate.

Mr Webster extended Mr Rosendale’s bail to March 26 to appear before Magistrate Michael Daly.

“In the meantime, you can go back to wherever you came from,” he said.

Mr Rosendale faces 30 counts of animal cruelty, one count of having care of an animal and using a management method likely to cause unreasonable pain or suffering, and one count of having custody of an animal in contravention of an order.

Follow @ambervwilson