A NORTH Dorset farmer has been banned from keeping sheep after admitting multiple animal cruelty offences following what the court heard were shocking levels of neglect.

Nigel Anthony Turner, 56, of Ryme Intrinseca near Sherborne, pleaded guilty to 19 offences at Weymouth Magistrates’ Court and was sentenced on January 26.

The case followed a site visit in January 2025 after Dorset Council’s Trading Standards service received a complaint about the welfare of sheep in a field at Ansty.

Officers found 140 sheep in a field with very little grazing and no evidence of supplementary feed.

Many of the animals were described as emaciated. Eleven sheep were already dead.

One lamb was discovered in a water-filled ditch, and two ewes were found close to death.

A veterinary officer from the Animal and Plant Health Agency (APHA) was called to the scene.

One distressed ewe had to be euthanised immediately, while the lamb later died during examination.

The court heard that Turner was instructed to provide urgent care and shelter for a ewe that was unable to stand.

When Trading Standards officers and the vet returned the following morning, the ewe had not been moved and had died.

Inspectors also found several rams kept in the same field, leading to indiscriminate breeding. As a result, some ewes were found to be in lamb when they were too young.

Further visits in February 2025 revealed continuing welfare concerns.

Many sheep remained well below an acceptable condition and several were not ear-tagged, which is a legal requirement.

Turner was asked to provide animal movement and medicine records but failed to do so.

Despite earlier intervention, subsequent welfare checks found further evidence of lame and underweight sheep.

Magistrates imposed a 12-week prison sentence, suspended for 12 months.

Turner was also banned from owning or keeping sheep for two years and ordered to pay a £154 victim surcharge and £500 towards prosecution costs within 56 days.

Dorset Council’s portfolio holder for public health and prevention Cllr Gill Taylor said: “The vast majority of livestock keepers in Dorset care passionately about their animals and so it is very disappointing and frustrating when cases like this happen.

“This was an appalling and shocking case of animal neglect, and we will not tolerate such acts of cruelty.

“Our trading standards team will investigate cases like this thoroughly and take steps to ensure they are not repeated.”