Warning – this article contains distressing images.

A Crown Court judge has been shown horrific video footage of the suffering caused to animals at the hands of Pembrokeshire father and daughter, Richard and Brogan Scarfe.

The video showed a pig squealing in pain after being found with its head stuck in a holding pen while a young lamb was so weak, it could barely stand.  Many animals, including pigs and sheep, were severely malnourished while a pig could be seen with two severely injured ears, possibly, the court was told, as a result of cannibalistic behaviour.

“The care you showed to those animals was highly inappropriate,” commented Judge Katherine Richards as she sentenced Richard Scarfe at Swansea Crown Court on Monday (May 12).

“You refused to accept the advice and opinion of experts, and you continued to think that your knowledge was better. But this caused prolonged periods of neglect and high levels of suffering to the animals in your care.”

Last month Richard Scarfe, 44,  of Park Street, Pembroke Dock and his daughter Brogan, 26, of Woodbine Terrace, Pembroke admitted causing unnecessary suffering to pigs, sheep, poultry and dogs, between January 25, 2022 and  April 18, 2023.  

Richard Scarfe was further charged with breaching a Court Order, which banned him from owning, keeping or participating in the keeping of goats, donkeys, cattle, sheep and pigs, or being party to any arrangement under which he was entitled to control or have influence over their care, for a period of five years.

Animal welfare officers from both Pembrokeshire County Council and the RSPCA carried out a number of visit to monitor the animals’ welfare. And on each visit, they discovered the animals’ condition was deteriorating.   They also discovered that Scarfe had remained actively involved in the day-to-day husbandry of his livestock despite a five-year disqualification imposed following a previous conviction for causing unnecessary suffering to animals in 2022.

During their visits, the officers  discovered:

Dead pigs left in close proximity to enclosures containing live pigs;

Animals suffering from substantial levels of pain and suffering.  One pig had extensive damage to both its ears, believed to be the result of cannibalistic behaviour caused by the pigs competing for the limited food and space.

Animal malnourishment, with inadequate food and drinking water supplies;

Severely emaciated sheep, showing their ribs and spine;

Hazardous holding enclosures, often knee deep in mud.

When interviewed by the officers, the court was told that Scarfe claimed the animals were in a good state of health, claiming their underweight appearance was because they were young and still growing.

“Just like there are fat people and thin people, there are fat pigs and thin pigs,” he said.

The pigs were being kept with inadequate supplies of food and fresh drinking water.

A number of dogs were also found locked inside a makeshift kennel that was littered in faeces.  Several were underweight and nervous, and despite making numerous visits, the officers never saw the dog released from their kennels.

As a result of the officers’concerns, veterinary advice was sought from the Animal and Plant Health Agency on the cattle, pigs, sheep and poultry found at Scarfe’s property.  Body condition scores were carried out,which showed they were all in a substandard condition and suffering unnecessarily as a result of serious failures in their care.  A certificate under Section 18 of the Animal Welfare Act 2006 was subsequently issued demanding their removal to a place of safety and to prevent further suffering. A total of one cow, 26 sheep, 43 pigs, 23 poultry and five dogs were subsequently seized and removed to a place of sanctuary where they were examined by a veterinary surgeon, with many needing medical intervention.

Richard Scarfe was sentenced to 11 months in custody, suspended for 12 months.

“The fact that you so brazenly breached the disqualification means custody is the only way of punishing you,” commented Judge Richards.

Judge Richards suspended custody for 12 months as a result of Scarfe being the full-time carer of his partner as well as being jointly responsible for the home education of their young son. He was disqualified from keeping animals for life

Sentencing Brogan Scarfe, Judge Katherine Richards said the defendant had ‘acted as a means of misplaced loyalty’ to her father.

She must serve a 12-month community order and carry out 100 hours of unpaid work.  She was disqualified from keeping animals for five years.