June 12, 2009
A horse trader found guilty of animal cruelty was today sentenced to six months in prison and banned from keeping horses, ponies and donkeys for life. James John Gray (45) was also ordered to pay £400,000 costs.
His son, James Gray Junior (16), was ordered to complete an 18-month supervision order and banned from keeping equines for 10 years.
Wife Julie Gray (42) and daughters Jodie Gray (26) and Cordelia Gray (21) were ordered to complete 150 hours of community service and were banned from keeping equines for 10 years. Julie Gray was ordered to pay £750 in costs and Cordelia and Jodie Gray were ordered to pay £500 each in costs.
James Gray and his son James Gray Junior were found guilty of causing unnecessary suffering to 40 equines on Friday 8 May after a 12-week trial, brought by the RSPCA. Along with wife Julie Gray and daughters Jodie Gray and Cordelia Gray they were also found guilty of failing to meet the welfare needs of 114 equines.
The family was prosecuted after RSPCA inspectors discovered more than 100 horses, ponies and donkeys and the bodies of a further 32 equines at Spindle Farm near Amersham between Friday 4 and Wednesday 9 January 2008.
RSPCA inspector Kirsty Hampton said: “The RSPCA is pleased that the district judge has recognised the extent of the cruelty, neglect and the suffering endured by the animals in this case. We see the disqualifications from keeping horses as an effective measure to prevent animals suffering in the future.”
Inspector Hampton described the conditions that the horses were kept in as ‘grotesque’.
She said: “When we arrived at the farm we were confronted with an extremely distressing scene. The stench of decomposition and urine was overpowering. The sight of horses left in such a miserable state will stay with me forever and I hope I never have to see animals treated with such little care and compassion again.”
Officers from World Horse Welfare, Redwings Horse Sanctuary, vets and Thames Valley Police worked alongside the RSPCA in very difficult conditions to rescue the surviving animals from the terrible scene.
Many of the animals had little food or dry bedding and were crammed into pens, ankle deep in faeces. Other horses had simply been left to die where they fell and then, surrounded by their companions, decomposed. Further carcasses were discovered in surrounding fields, some burned on bonfires, and there was a pile of bones and a skull against an outbuilding.
District Judge Andrew Vickers said of James John Gray at today’s hearing at Aylesbury Magistrates’ Court: “I know you have a strong background with equines so it is all the more sad that you stand convicted. It is something your father and grandfather would be ashamed of.”
All the defendants had denied all counts of cruelty and neglect. In court, James Gray claimed sole responsibility for the animals and said his wife and one of his daughters were “frightened” of the horses.
He said he ran a limited company dealing in 2,300 to 2,400 equines a year and, of these, “nine or ten” would die. He added that bad weather had been responsible for the wet bedding and “temporary” overcrowding when the RSPCA visited his farm in January 2008. He denied that the horses were poorly fed and housed.
The investigation has been one of the RSPCA’s biggest ever, and just providing care and rehabilitation treatment for the horses has cost the charity more than £850,000.
If members of the public would like to contribute towards the work of the RSPCA and the animals in its care, they should call 0300 123 8000 or visit www.rspca.org.uk/amershamhorses.
Today at Aylesbury Magistrates Court, District Judge Andrew Vickers drew to a close the longest running animal welfare trial in history by sentencing James Gray (45) from Spindles Farm in Amersham to 24 weeks in prison and banning him from owning and keeping horses for life. He has also been ordered to pay costs of £400,000. A deprivation order has been made for the 111 horses removed from his care.
His 16 year old son James Gray Junior has been banned for 10 years and given an 18 month supervision order. Daughters Jodie (26) and Cordelia (21) have been banned for 10 years and given costs of £500 each and their mother Julie (42) has been banned for 10 years and given costs of £750. All three women have also been ordered to carry out 150 hours community service which must be carried out within 12 months. The family cannot appeal their bans for five years.
It was the worst case of horse welfare abuse in UK history. 32 horses, ponies and donkeys were found dead and 111 were removed from Spindles Farm in January 2008 in an RSPCA led investigation.
Leading international horse charity World Horse Welfare, which took 11 of the Amersham horses, is delighted with today’s result. Says Roly Owers, Chief Executive:
“World Horse Welfare is extremely pleased that justice has prevailed and James Gray has been given a 24 week custodial sentence and banned from owning and keeping horses for life. We are also very relieved that the rest of the family have been given 10 year bans as it will prevent more horses from suffering in their care for a considerable time, but it is essential that the bans are properly enforced.
“Many people will think that no sentence can do justice to the cruelty the Grays inflicted on their horses but this is the most high profile test of new legislation under the Animal Welfare Act 2006 and it sends a clear warning message that neglecting and mistreating horses in this way is totally unacceptable and should always carry a heavy punishment.
“After lots of care and rehabilitation, our 11 Amersham horses have fully recovered and we are delighted that we can start to look for loving new loan homes for them where they can look forward to a happy life far removed from the one they experienced in the hands of the Gray family.”
World Horse Welfare Field Officer Nick White was one of the first at the scene back in January 2008 and will never forget what he saw. He says:
“After seeing the conditions in the fields, it wasn’t until I went into the yard that the enormity of it hit me… there were dead horses on the ground in front of me, and to the right. I looked across there was a dead horse in the stalls. It was like walking into another world.
“There were none of the normal noises I associate with a stable yard – horses moving about, eating, drinking, calling out to one another or the gentle noises that horses make when approached, expecting to be fed or cared for. They were totally silent. Even the horses that appeared in better bodily condition seemed to be depressed, almost as if they had lost their dignity.”
June 6, 2009
A family of horse traders is due to be sentenced on Friday 12 June after being found guilty of animal neglect.
Sentencing is due to take place at Aylesbury Magistrates’ Court at 12pm.
James John Gray (45), his son James Gray Junior (16) were found guilty of causing unnecessary suffering to 40 equines on Friday 8 May after a 12-week trial brought by the RSPCA.
Along with wife Julie Gray (41) and daughters Jodie Gray (26) and Cordelia Gray (20) they were also found guilty of failing to meet the welfare needs of 114 equines.
James Gray, his wife Julie, son James Gray Junior and daughter Cordelia are from Spindle Farm, Hyde Heath, Amersham, Buckinghamshire. Cordelia’s sister, Jodie Gray, is from Park Road, Ashford, Middlesex.
May 8, 2009
James Gray and his son James Gray Junior have today been found guilty on all 11 counts of causing unnecessary suffering and failing to meet the welfare needs of a total of 125 horses. James Gray’s wife Julie and daughters Cordelia and Jodie were found guilty on two Section 9 counts.
It was one of the worst cases of horse welfare abuse in UK history. 32 horses, ponies and donkeys were found dead and over 100 were removed from Spindles Farm in Amersham in January 2008. Sentencing will take place at Aylesbury Magistrates Court in four weeks time.
Roly Owers, World Horse Welfare Chief Executive says: “World Horse Welfare is pleased that justice has prevailed and James Gray and his son have been found guilty on all counts.
“This is the most high profile test of new legislation under the Animal Welfare Act 2006 and it must send a clear message that neglecting and mistreating horses in this way is totally unacceptable.
“World Horse Welfare took in 11 of the Amersham horses and after lots of care and rehabilitation, we are pleased to say that they have all now recovered. If we are awarded permanent custody of the horses, we will be looking for loving new loan homes for them where they can look forward to a happy life far removed from the one they experienced in the hands of the Gray family.”
World Horse Welfare Field Officer Nick White, who was one of the first at the scene:
“After seeing the conditions in the fields, it wasn’t until I went into the yard that the enormity of it hit me… there were dead horses on the ground in front of me, and to the right. I looked across there was a dead horse in the stalls. It was like walking into another world.
“There were none of the normal noises I associate with a stable yard – horses moving about, eating, drinking, calling out to one another or the gentle noises that horses make when approached, expecting to be fed or cared for. They were totally silent. Even the horses that appeared in better bodily condition seemed to be depressed, almost as if they had lost their dignity.”
You can watch a video interview with Nick White here:
http://www.youtube.com/profile?v=EYdYiVmXz8I&user=horsecharity
The British Horse Society welcomed today’s verdict in the trial of James Gray who stood accused of causing unnecessary suffering to more than 100 horses at his Spindles Farm premises in Amersham, Buckinghamshire.
In January 2008, 111 horses, ponies and donkeys were removed from Spindles Farm in a joint rescue operation involving several equine welfare charities. A further 31 animals were found dead at the scene, prompting extensive media coverage of what is thought to be the largest horse welfare operation ever undertaken in the UK.
Today’s verdict, at which Gray and members of his family were found guilty of a number of charges related to causing unnecessary suffering provoked BHS Chief Executive Graham Cory to issue the following statement:
“These guilty verdicts are scarcely a cause for celebration. We must remember that many horses and ponies suffered inexcusable cruelty at the hands of these people. But we are certainly pleased that they have at last been brought to justice.
“Now we must move on and treat the Amersham case as a spur to even greater efforts to tackle cases of equine neglect and abuse.”
