Source : Perth Now news
Two pig farmers accused of cruelty have been confronted by animal rights activists crying “shame” in dramatic scenes outside their first court appearance.
Andrew and Alison Goss are two of five South Australia pig farmers accused of ill-treatment of their animals, with court documents describing allegations of hideous living conditions.
Mr and Mrs Goss stand co-accused with Lachlan Goss, Garry Tiss and Joan Tiss of a host of offences under the Animal Welfare Act.
All five were listed to make first appearances at Elizabeth Magistrates Court on Tuesday, but only Andrew and Alison Goss attended in person.
The defendants are all connected with a company called Andgar Piggery, which runs four farms in South Australia. The charges relate to its site in Dublin.
Lachlan Goss is facing 49 charges of ill treatment of animals to cause death or serious harm while his four co-accused face 31 each.
During a short hearing, which lasted less than four minutes, neither Mr nor Mrs Goss spoke from the dock as Magistrate Rodney Oates adjourned the case until August.
While details of the accusations were not mentioned in the hearing, a prosecutor from the RSPCA told the court it was “probably the most serious matter the RSPCA has dealt with”.
As Mr and Mrs Goss left court, they were met by animal rights activists who had gathered ahead of the hearing.
Brandishing placards calling for the company to be shut down, the protesters followed both defendants as far as their car.
Neither Mr nor Mrs Goss, of Lower Light, spoke as they left the court.
Shocking allegations
While specifics of the many charges were not read out in court, documents obtained by NewsWire have revealed shocking details of what the five stand accused of.
The charges relate to the living conditions of hundreds of pigs that were allegedly forced to live in squalid conditions.
“The defendants were reckless about providing adequate and appropriate food to the pigs who were forced to live in an enclosure which had become a morass of faeces, urine and dirt, which was overflowing into their food troughs befouling their feed,” one charge read.
Another charge states pigs were “forced to live in filthy and unhygienic living conditions” which had “contributed” to their deaths.
Other accusations include one of the defendants, Lachlan Goss, allegedly failing to seek veterinary care for a pig found with a wound on its left hock.
The documents also allege pigs were found to be living alongside the cadaver of another dead pig, with overcrowding leading to pigs struggling to move and trampling each other.
‘Complex matter’
The investigation into Andgar Piggery began after video footage filmed at the premises by the activist group Farm Transparency Project was published online and submitted to the RSCPA.
Investigators from the RSCPA then began its own investigation which early this year led to the charges being laid.
“This is an extremely complex matter, and over the past 12 months we have worked tirelessly and diligently to thoroughly review the evidence and prepare a well-supported case,” said RSPCA SA’s head of animal welfare Andrea Lewis.
“Now that charges have been laid, we look forward to the legal proceedings progressing and seeing justice achieved for the animals that were harmed.
Speaking outside of the court, one of the protesters, Emily Bakker, said the allegations were “horrific”.
She said it was “very disappointing” that three of the defendants did not attend court.
The matter was adjourned until August 4.
