Egg company boss jailed for offences leading to deaths of 2000 Caithness hens
Peter Armitage was sentenced at Wick Sheriff Court today where he was also banned from keeping animals for 15 years.
Last updated 1st Dec 2022
A former egg company owner is facing time in prison for acts which led to the deaths of around 2000 hens.
Peter Armitage was sentenced at Wick Sheriff Court today where he was also banned from keeping animals for 15 years.
The 41-year-old has been jailed for two years and three months for animal welfare and hygiene offences at Lochquoy Farm in Durran, near Castletown.
His 24-year-old former employee Kyle Mackay was given a Community Payback Order requiring him to carry out 180 hours of unpaid work.
Mackay, who was 17 at the time of the offences, was employed as the farm manager and was in charge when Armitage was not working.
Armitage and Mackay had previously pled guilty to causing unnecessary suffering to approximately 2000 adult hens by failing to provide them with sufficient food and water, resulting in their deaths.
They also pled guilty to allowing pigs access to hens, resulting in them attacking, killing, and consuming some of them.
Armitage also admitted failing to keep the premises clean and maintained in good repair and condition, failing to ensure that adequate procedures were not in place to control pests, fed pigs with eggs and eggshells and allowed pigs and chickens to access and consume broken eggs.
The offences occurred between September 2016 and September 2017.
Mackay pled to a further charge of failing to provide sufficient food and water to a calf which died.
Procurator Fiscal for Grampian, Highland and Islands, Andy Shanks, thanked other authorities involved in the case which led to the conviction.
Speaking after the sentencing, he said: "The animal welfare and hygiene failings at Lochquoy Farm caused unnecessary suffering and pain to thousands of birds and introduced a significant public health risk through the supply of potentially contaminated eggs to wholesale and retail outlets across the Highland region.
"Peter Armitage and Kyle Mackay’s convictions were down to the collaborative multi-agency working involved in investigating and gathering evidence of these offences.
"I would like to thank Highland Council, the Animal & Plant Health Agency, and the Scottish Government Poultry Unit for the part they played in getting this outcome.
"We expect the highest standards of our food producers and are committed to working with enforcing authorities to ensure that those who do not meet these standards are held to account."