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.”