Blair Jackson16:53, Jul 06 2021
Robyn Edie/Stuff
An Electoral Act charge laid against the Invercargill Advance NZ candidate has been dismissed. Kurt Rohloff, 49, was charged with failing to file election expenses and donation, at Invercargill on February 17, 2021. In the Invercargill District Court on Tuesday, the court registrar said diversion had been completed and the charge was dismissed. Defence lawyer Anna Goble did not seek a continuation of Rohloff’s interim name suppression.
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A farmer has been sentenced to nine months home detention and banned from owning or managing farm animals for four years for serious animal welfare offending.
Bevan Scott Tait had earlier pleaded guilty to eight charges under the Animal Welfare Act.
Photo: RNZ / Ian Telfer
Bevan Scott Tait received his sentence at the Invercargill District Court on Monday having earlier pleaded guilty to eight charges under the Animal Welfare Act.
As a result of Tait s offending, 226 sheep and three lambs had to be euthanised because they were emaciated and suffered from flystrike.
The Ministry for Primary Industries (MPI) launched an investigation at the 52-year-old s Tussock Creek, Southland, farm following a complaint in 2019. That led to a series of inspections over a five month period by MPI, farm consultants and veterinarians.
Monday, 5 July 2021, 3:40 pm
A farmer has been sentenced to nine months’ home
detention and banned from owning or managing farm animals
for four years for serious animal welfare
offending.
Bevan Scott Tait (52) received his sentence
by audio visual link at the Invercargill District Court
today having earlier pleaded guilty to eight charges under
the Animal Welfare Act.
As a result of his offending,
226 of his sheep and three lambs had to be euthanised
because they were emaciated and suffered from
flystrike.
MPI Animal Welfare launched an
investigation at his Tussock Creek, Southland farm following
a complaint in 2019. That led to a series of inspections
An Invercargill farmer has been banned from owning farm animals - because of serious abuse 5 July 2021
Bevan Tait has been sentenced to nine months home detention at the Invercargill District Court today, after a guilty plea to charges under the Animal Welfare Act.
More than 200 emaciated sheep with flystrike, including three lambs, have been euthanised.
MPI Animal Welfare National Manager, Gray Harrison says it is some of the worst animal neglect they ve seen for some time.
Tait must also do 150 hours community service.
Tait’s lawyer, Tanya McCullum, told Judge John Brandts-Giesen that about 18 months before the issue came to a head, the Ministry of Primary Industries got in touch with Tait and sent someone from Rural Support to see him. Rural Support could see Tait was struggling “but they didn’t actually do anything to support him,” she said. “They could see there were problems, and they could see he was needing help, but essentially they said, do something.” This was insufficient as he needed someone to actually assist him, given his wife was unwell, and he was struggling with his own mental health at the time, she said.