Gippsland farm owner Pierre Roland De Bondy guilty of animal cruelty charges in Latrobe Valley Magistrates’ Court

A Vermont South man has been fined $25,000 and received a conditional disqualification order on livestock for five years after pleading guilty.

A Vermont South man has been fined $25,000 and received a conditional disqualification order on livestock for a period of five years after being convicted of animal cruelty charges.

Absentee farmer Pierre Roland De Bondy was recently convicted and fined in the Latrobe Valley Magistrates’ Court after pleading guilty to seven charges, including two for cruelty and three aggravated cruelty offences.

De Bondy lives at a property in Vermont South and runs the pastoral farming enterprise Geralem Services Pty from properties at Flowerdale, Woodside and Mirboo.

Geralem Services Pty has been operating since 1999, running about 150 head of mostly Angus cattle.

The court heard Agriculture Victoria officers inspected some of De Bondy’s cattle in response to a report of sick and dying cattle at the Mirboo property.

Several cattle were observed suffering as they were found too weak to rise or lift their heads, with several young cattle having to be euthanized.

De Bondy was fined $25,000 and costs awarded in the amount of $101.25 to the department.

When sentencing, the Magistrate said he considered previous cases of livestock cruelty and absentee farming against the seriousness of the offending and the suffering caused by De Bondy.

Agriculture Victoria animal health and welfare compliance manager Daniel Bode said people who own animals had a serious responsibility to look after them.

“Those farmers who work as absentee owners are reminded that adequate supervision is a requirement, particularly during risk times such as summer, to ensure animals have proper and sufficient feed, water and shelter,” he said.

Earlier this year a Pakenham livestock agent and two farmers were fined more than $35,000 combined after pleading guilty to a series of animal traceability offences.

To make a specific complaint about livestock welfare contact Agriculture Victoria on 136 186 or [e-mail]