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Police protect man at horse death farm
POLICE have had to put measures in place to protect the man living at the farm where 32 dead horses were found.
The shocking discovery was made three weeks ago, when a major RSPCA operation staged a rescue of the surviving animals.
Chief Inspector Stuart Greenfield said: "Because of the nature of the case, clearly there's an onus on us to protect his safety and the safety of his family because of reprisals. We have put strategies in place to do that."
The operation began at Spindles Farm, Chalk Lane, Hyde Heath, Amersham after RSPCA officers found the dead horses on January 4, following a tip-off from a member of the public. James Gray, 44, who lives at the farm was due to appear in court on Monday, January 14 on charges of criminal damage and assault on a police officer but the case was adjourned until February at his own request.
CI Greenfield said: "We've got to make sure the family's welfare is a priority and we do recognise the potential for reprisal. A case like this will raise people's emotions - these cases always do, and we recognise that."
CI Greenfield added that as this was part of a live operation he was unable to give any further details.
He explained that the discovery had led to a spike in calls from members of the public concerned at the treatment of horses in the area, and that these complaints had been passed to the RSPCA.
Sophie Wilkinson, spokesman for the RSPCA, said : "At the moment, we are still gathering evidence and investigating. Probably it will be another couple of weeks."
The Horse Trust at Speen has taken on 14 of the starving horses, ponies and donkeys, and other animal welfare organisations around the country have also stepped in.
Click on the link above to see the latest video of how the rescued animals are recovering at the Trust.
James Gray will now appear at Aylesbury Magistrates' Court on February 4 at 10am.
9:33am Friday 25th January 2008
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CommentPosted by: SL, Bucks on 9:41am Fri 25 Jan 08
"their welfare" !!! i dont think you will find many people here who care less about that. So i suppose we are paying for this police protection when no one seemed to want to protect those poor horses
"their welfare" !!! i dont think you will find many people here who care less about that. So i suppose we are paying for this police protection when no one seemed to want to protect those poor horses
Posted by: Elmo, High Wycombe on 10:11am Fri 25 Jan 08
The man has to be charged and tried for his actions.
Again.
The man has to be charged and tried for his actions.
Again.
Posted by: Ivor on 10:30am Fri 25 Jan 08
[quote]clearly there's an onus on us to protect his safety and the safety of his family because of reprisals[/quote]Is police time really being used to protect someone who allegedly allowed animals to be mal-treated while the same police officers could be out catching criminals who have committed crimes against the decent hard working members of the public?
[bold]Have you read Ivor’s blog today?[/bold] Click on the “Opinion” link on the menu on the left then click on “Readers Bucks Blog”.
clearly there's an onus on us to protect his safety and the safety of his family because of reprisals
Is police time really being used to protect someone who allegedly allowed animals to be mal-treated while the same police officers could be out catching criminals who have committed crimes against the decent hard working members of the public?
Have you read Ivor’s blog today? Click on the “Opinion” link on the menu on the left then click on “Readers Bucks Blog”.
Posted by: erm, ermsville on 10:54am Fri 25 Jan 08
Once again the police are trapped between a rock and hard place and they probably hate having to protect this guy.
However the day that the police can pick and choose who they protect on the basis of whether they are a decent person or not is gonna be a sad day for British policing.
While I hate everything this man has allegedly done, the threats are against his family too, that could include children who might have been unaware of what their father was doing and have a right to be safe and expect protection.
Once again the police are trapped between a rock and hard place and they probably hate having to protect this guy.
However the day that the police can pick and choose who they protect on the basis of whether they are a decent person or not is gonna be a sad day for British policing.
While I hate everything this man has allegedly done, the threats are against his family too, that could include children who might have been unaware of what their father was doing and have a right to be safe and expect protection.
Posted by: James, London on 10:56am Fri 25 Jan 08
He will only be protected for a short while nasty people like him have a habit of getting what’s coming to them i hope he reads this and thinks very carefully about what he has done there is always a price to pay lets hope the dirty scumbag suffers whilst paying.
He will only be protected for a short while nasty people like him have a habit of getting what’s coming to them i hope he reads this and thinks very carefully about what he has done there is always a price to pay lets hope the dirty scumbag suffers whilst paying.
Posted by: J, Hazlemere on 11:01am Fri 25 Jan 08
This disgusting low-life deserves everything he gets. The problem is, as with most animal cases, he won't be punished, just banned from keeping animals for 6 months and a pathetic fine. He should be treated the way he treated his animals so he can understand what he put them through.
This disgusting low-life deserves everything he gets. The problem is, as with most animal cases, he won't be punished, just banned from keeping animals for 6 months and a pathetic fine. He should be treated the way he treated his animals so he can understand what he put them through.
Posted by: Iain, Beaconsfield on 11:17am Fri 25 Jan 08
Put him in stocks at the next Horse of the Year Show and see what happens...
Put him in stocks at the next Horse of the Year Show and see what happens...
Posted by: Becky, High Wycombe on 11:19am Fri 25 Jan 08
Protect him? Why should he be protected when he failed to protect his own animals and let harm come to them? He should have a taste of his own medicine the dirty peice of scum!
Protect him? Why should he be protected when he failed to protect his own animals and let harm come to them? He should have a taste of his own medicine the dirty peice of scum!
Posted by: Craig, Coventry on 11:55am Fri 25 Jan 08
Cant we tie him up and leave him in a field to rot in his own s**t?
Cant we tie him up and leave him in a field to rot in his own s**t?
Posted by: J, Hazlemere on 1:52pm Fri 25 Jan 08
I like Craig's suggestion, except even that is probably too good for him.
I like Craig's suggestion, except even that is probably too good for him.
Posted by: Lividov, Marlow on 2:30pm Fri 25 Jan 08
Hang on, hang on - even when the evidence is stacked against this guy there is still a need to protect him harm.
Why? Because that's the law. If you disregard that rule then we may aswell go back to the jungle. It would be better to make clear to those threatening him what the law is and if they are law abiding citizens they will comply.
It's perfectly understandable that emotions are running high in a case like this but the ules are perfectly clear. If you don't like them then see your MP to have the law changed.
Hang on, hang on - even when the evidence is stacked against this guy there is still a need to protect him harm.
Why? Because that's the law. If you disregard that rule then we may aswell go back to the jungle. It would be better to make clear to those threatening him what the law is and if they are law abiding citizens they will comply.
It's perfectly understandable that emotions are running high in a case like this but the ules are perfectly clear. If you don't like them then see your MP to have the law changed.
Posted by: Marmite, HW on 3:51pm Fri 25 Jan 08
I'd cut off his b*****s and make him eat them.
Although to be fair to him, it was only horses. They eat them in France.
I'd cut off his b*****s and make him eat them.
Although to be fair to him, it was only horses. They eat them in France.
Posted by: Steve, Totteridge Hill on 7:35pm Fri 25 Jan 08
Best way to protect him is to lock him up... He's getting better treatment than he gave to his stock.
[italic]I do like the comment about stocks & horse of the year show though ;-)[/italic]
Best way to protect him is to lock him up... He's getting better treatment than he gave to his stock.
I do like the comment about stocks & horse of the year show though ;-) Posted by: Nick Hall, Birmingham on 11:20pm Fri 25 Jan 08
Has it occurred to any of you that he might be innocent?
What if you lot of vigilantes tear him limb from limb and then it turns out you were wrong?
Four other RSPCA prosecutions have failed recently.
Think about it.
British "justice" says you are innocent until proved guilty.
Has it occurred to any of you that he might be innocent?
What if you lot of vigilantes tear him limb from limb and then it turns out you were wrong?
Four other RSPCA prosecutions have failed recently.
Think about it.
British "justice" says you are innocent until proved guilty.
Posted by: Pierre, HW on 1:08am Sat 26 Jan 08
Yes, Nick
Dolly did it!
Posted by: Becky, High Wycombe on 6:47pm Sat 26 Jan 08
[quote][bold]Nick Hall[/bold] wrote:
Has it occurred to any of you that he might be innocent? What if you lot of vigilantes tear him limb from limb and then it turns out you were wrong? Four other RSPCA prosecutions have failed recently. Think about it. British "justice" says you are innocent until proved guilty. [/quote] Innocent? Call him innocent when he lets all them animals suffer so bad on HIS farm?!? Yes that's HIS farm...You telling me he's too blind to see the state those animals are in? Or does he need extra thick glasses? Get a grip Nick Hall, everyone knows the guy is responsible for all them poor animals...and why did he attack a policeman if he knew he was innocent? Has that occured to anyone?
Nick Hall wrote:
Has it occurred to any of you that he might be innocent? What if you lot of vigilantes tear him limb from limb and then it turns out you were wrong? Four other RSPCA prosecutions have failed recently. Think about it. British "justice" says you are innocent until proved guilty.
Innocent? Call him innocent when he lets all them animals suffer so bad on HIS farm?!? Yes that's HIS farm...You telling me he's too blind to see the state those animals are in? Or does he need extra thick glasses? Get a grip Nick Hall, everyone knows the guy is responsible for all them poor animals...and why did he attack a policeman if he knew he was innocent? Has that occured to anyone?
Posted by: jpeterson, Speen on 10:23am Fri 1 Feb 08
Assuming he's guilty (sounds pretty conclusive to me), remove him from society (and preferably the gene pool), sell everything he owns on eBay, and donate it to the home for horses in Speen. I'd rather see money spent on animal welfare than police protection, court cases, prison upkeep etc.
Assuming he's guilty (sounds pretty conclusive to me), remove him from society (and preferably the gene pool), sell everything he owns on eBay, and donate it to the home for horses in Speen. I'd rather see money spent on animal welfare than police protection, court cases, prison upkeep etc.
Posted by: Bodger, Bourne End on 7:51am Sun 18 May 08
I find it hard to believe that this family can cause so much pain and suffering to all those equines. To add insult to injury he get police protection!! It is extremely bizarre given that he assaulted a Police Officer aswell.
I am glad the decision was overturned in terms of the 29 equines being returned to him, however, what happened to the other ones, did they go back into the markets for meat!? If so what happened to the money, as one of the comments made by his legal team was that he should not be financially worse off. This case is incredible and I still think of it everyday, still unable to believe that a family could be so cruel. I have read the comments made by Gray's niece, I think she wears the same glasses as her uncle and his family, tunnel vision. Perhaps her definition of kindness and looking after animals is different to most other people. I don't believe for an instant he paid for hay etc. It is all very sad. The RSPCA should have acted sooner. I have stopped donating to them as their values are questionable.
I find it hard to believe that this family can cause so much pain and suffering to all those equines. To add insult to injury he get police protection!! It is extremely bizarre given that he assaulted a Police Officer aswell.
I am glad the decision was overturned in terms of the 29 equines being returned to him, however, what happened to the other ones, did they go back into the markets for meat!? If so what happened to the money, as one of the comments made by his legal team was that he should not be financially worse off. This case is incredible and I still think of it everyday, still unable to believe that a family could be so cruel. I have read the comments made by Gray's niece, I think she wears the same glasses as her uncle and his family, tunnel vision. Perhaps her definition of kindness and looking after animals is different to most other people. I don't believe for an instant he paid for hay etc. It is all very sad. The RSPCA should have acted sooner. I have stopped donating to them as their values are questionable.
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