Banned owner escapes jail
An owner who was banned from keeping horses in 2003 has escaped a jail sentence despite being convicted of breaching his ban.
Allan Clynch from Gt Harwood in Lancashire was sentenced at Hyndburn Magistrates Court, Accrington on Monday 30 June, following his conviction earlier this month, for breaching a banon keeping horses.
On 3 March this year, ILPH Field Officer Chris Williamson went to investigate a complaint made by a member of the public about an abandoned pony in Gt. Harwood. He found Frankie, a 13hh bay seven-year-old stallion and brought him to ILPH Penny Farm near Blackpool for safe keeping.
Subsequent enquiries revealed that the owner of the pony was Allan Clynch, who – before abandoning Frankie – had been stabling him in his garage, despite having been banned from keeping horses for three years in May 2002.
Alan received a 12 month probation order, which will overlap an existing one. Because he already has extensive fines to pay from previous convictions, all costs were waived.
ILPH Field Officer, Chris Williamson says: “Mr Clynch has blatantly disregarded his disqualification by continuing to keep a pony. He then attempted to deny the fact to the police and welfare organisations. We are bitterly disappointed with this result as it clearly does not reflect the severity of his crime.
“At the hearing, the Court made it clear to Mr Clynch that his ban covered all equines, not just horses, and any further breach would result in a probable custodial sentence.”
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Inspector Sarah Hill from the RSPCA says: “We are very disappointed that the costs have not been awarded to the RSPCA to cover the amount of time their inspectors have put into this case. We feel that he has been treated very leniently.”
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