Hampshire man with little remorse avoids jail after neglecting six horses one of which had to be put down
A Hampshire man has been spared jail after neglecting six horses on a farm, one of which had to be put down following complications from colic.
Following the RSPCA’s intervention amid concerns for the health of horses being kept in Surrey, Russell Noel Bennett pleaded guilty to causing unnecessary suffering to six horses between February and April 2024.
The 48-year-old appeared at Staines Magistrates’ Court in Guildford on November 27, where he was given an 18 week custody sentence, suspended for 18 months and ordered to undertake 300 hours of unpaid work.
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The RSPCA was contacted by a member of the public with concerns for two horses kept at the farm in Portsmouth Road.
Six horses were removed from the farm and taken into the care of the RSPCA after Bennett failed to provide them with adequate nutrition, treatment for lice and respiratory illness, and control their parasite infestations.
RSPCA Inspector Natalie Kitchin described the condition of the horses in her witness statement, saying: “On entering the barn I immediately saw a dun mare (pictured above) who looked to be in very poor condition, she was very thin with her hips, ribs and spine clearly visible. Her skin was in very bad condition.
“A skewbald mare who was in foal was in very poor body condition and her skin was also in poor condition. A bay mare was also in poor body condition and producing very little milk to sustain her foal, who had very concerning lung sounds and a cough.
“Outside the barn in a field was a bay filly and a chestnut colt, both found in very poor body condition with nasal discharge and lice. Vet certified suffering and need for removal.”
The dun mare became unwell while in the RSPCA care after suffering with complications from ‘colic’ which is extremely serious in horses, and as a result, she had to be put down by a vet.
The pregnant mare has successfully given birth to her foal, with Natalie saying she is “very pleased that the five surviving horses, and the foal that was born in our care, are doing well, and when they are ready, can be found loving new homes.”
During the court hearing, the District Judge said this was ‘a serious case’ and that Bennett, of Dunley Hill, North Warnborough, had shown little remorse.
He has also been disqualified from owning horses, ponies, donkeys and their hybrids for 20 years which he cannot appeal for 10 years.
After sentencing, Inspector Kitchin added: “It was very difficult to see six beautiful horses in such a state. The dun mare we found in the barn was in extremely poor body condition, and to see a foal struggling to feed because her Mum was underweight was really tough to witness.