Farmer fined for failing to follow'¨cattle regulations

He was Ivan McKnight, Rock Meeting Road, Banbridge, and he admitted four offences which happened on May 13 last year.

For failing to notify the Department of Agriculture and Rural Development on the death of an animal he was fined £200.

Further fines of £200 were imposed for failing to notify DARD of cattle movement and failing to attach an ear tag to animals.

McKnight was also fined £400, with a £15 offender’s levy, for failing to keep a herd register.

The court heard that on May 13 last year a central inspection team from DARD carried out an inspection of the defendant’s herd.

All but eight cattle were accounted for and one of the animals had been reported lost by another herd in 2013.

Two bullocks were also not identified.

The defendant claimed that he had tried to apply tags to other animals but could not do so because of safety reasons.

A solicitor representing McKnight said he had been a farmer all his life.

He added that his client had checked the herd that day before the inspection and all was well.

But on the day of the inspection an animal was missing and he believed it had been stolen.

The solicitor explained that he had purchased seven animals from another farmer who had delivered them without the defendant knowing.

He had no previous offences like this on his record.