# Prison Sentence for Eclipse Horse Transport Owner



## foraday (6 August 2007)

Taken from the ILPH website

A woman who allowed a pregnant horse to starve to death in sight of 1000 bales of hay has been jailed for breaching her ban on keeping horses.

Delia Stacey of Strachey Close, Tidmarsh, Reading appeared before Guildford Crown Court on Friday 3rd August where she was given a 35 day prison sentence, an extra five year ban and was ordered to pay costs of £2000 for breaching the ban originally imposed on her in May 2006.

In March 2005 International League for the Protection of Horses (ILPH) Field Officer Ted Barnes and RSPCA Inspector Nicky Thorne went to Staceys 86 acre Pepperbox Stud in Bramley, near Guildford, where they found three emaciated horses including a bay mare, Desert Sand, who was pregnant and unable to stand as she was so weak. They called in a vet and the team struggled into the night to save Desert Sand but finally had to have her euthanased to put an end to her suffering. In the next field in full view of the horses were 1000 bales of hay. 

In May 2006 Stacey was given a three year ban, a one month suspended sentence, 120 hours community service and a fine of £9,000, but was spotted transporting horses in her Eclipse Horse Transport lorry along the M23/M25 by RSPCA Inspector Thorne a few days later. She was travelling four polo ponies to Ham Polo Club on her own, thereby breaching her ban. She was arrested and taken into custody. 

Speaking outside Guildford Crown Court, ILPH Field Officer Ted Barnes said: This has been a very long and protracted case and I am absolutely delighted with the outcome. It goes to show that people who mistreat horses and flout their ban can run but they cant hide.

I totally endorse the sentence given to Delia Stacey and hope that it will be lesson to her.

Anyone who is concerned about the welfare of a horse or pony should call the ILPH Welfare line on 0870 871 1927.


----------



## ISHmad (6 August 2007)

Hope she rots in hell for what she did to that poor mare.  

Better still, they should place plates of delicious food just outside her cell, and oh about an inch out of reach...  So she can know the living hell that poor mare endured before she had to be PTS.


----------



## grandmaweloveyou (6 August 2007)

sick sick sick - so local to me too, tempted to do some damage to cost her even more money. the rspca are so rubbish its untrue, and their hq is only doors away from me they all drive around in posh cars, personalised plates and pay peanuts and just push pens around paper and do nothing. the times theyve not helped, you get more sense and help out of rspb, not had dealings with ilph yet but hope to find them of more use if i ever need them. well done for being so specific in giving out address on this post!!!


----------



## nuffield (6 August 2007)

glad shes been jailed. I hope shes put in a cell with a horse lover...................


----------



## ghosthooves (6 August 2007)

[ QUOTE ]
Hope she rots in hell for what she did to that poor mare.  

Better still, they should place plates of delicious food just outside her cell, and oh about an inch out of reach...  So she can know the living hell that poor mare endured before she had to be PTS. 

[/ QUOTE ]

Hear hear


Though 35 days is no where near enough IMO


----------



## dun_in (6 August 2007)

Nice to see the sentence imposed - shame it isn't longer.  How many people would let their horse starve in a field next to tons of their own hay?

I agree that the RSPCA are complete rubbish when it comes to action - maybe they are betting at fund raising and lobbying - I would never waste my time with them in a welfare case.


p.s.  Your cob is so so gorgeous


----------



## llewyn (7 August 2007)

Sick!!


----------



## Puppy (8 August 2007)

Jeez, WHY would you do that?!


----------



## Toby_Zaphod (8 August 2007)

As a horse owner I'm very pleased with the sentence. We may all feel that we would have liked a longer sentence to be imposed but I am pleased that any custodial sentence has been passed. It is very rare for this to happen, normally it's  a fine &amp; a ban from keeping animals.


----------



## dill (12 August 2007)

I thought that the reason that she was jailed was because she was caught transporting polo ponies and she was forbidden to operate her transport company under the terms of her initial suspended sentence?


----------



## JM07 (12 August 2007)

[ QUOTE ]
I thought that the reason that she was jailed was because she was caught transporting polo ponies and she was forbidden to operate her transport company under the terms of her initial suspended sentence? 

[/ QUOTE ]

i think you are right....


----------



## EarthSummit (24 August 2007)

This person was released after 11 days so the 'deterrant' didn't really match the crime, and if you consider that this person was really trying the patience of the justice system, by appealing every verdict, it might be possible to understand why the RSPCA are sometimes seen as 'useless'! 

She successfully appealed against the extra five year ban and won - they couldn't send her to prison AND extend her ban for managing, being the custodian of, or keeping horses. She continues to operate her transport business because of the loophole that she can drive and be in attendance of the animals as long as she is supervised by another adult (she tried to get the police to accept that an eight year old was supervising her in the recent case).  However, she is facing a further session in court, as, between being found guilty and sentencing, she was arrested again for being in sole charge whilst transporting horses.

Basically she will continue to work with horses because she sees it as her right to do so. She will also continue to be given work because she is second in the Yell and 192 listings and people simply don't do a background check on transport companies.  Even being declared bankrupt has failed to stop her.  Only a deprivation order on the lorry will do this effectively now, though I'm sure there's a loophole there somewhere.  When you're paying a £9,000 fine at £5 per week, you really do now how to work the system.


----------



## dun_in (24 August 2007)

They like to keep the prisons clear as they don't have enough space - must bear this in mind when I do my crime of the century.

Hopefully she really enjoyed her short stay in prison and the problems a criminal record may create for her.

I'd guess you are right re a deprivation order on the lorry - she would claim that it was a tool of the trade or somesuch and that without it she would starve (ha ha!).


----------



## Tufty (24 August 2007)

Isnt this girl Carl Dickers girlfriend and was he not banned from keeping horses also for cruelty about 7 years ago ?


----------



## EarthSummit (26 August 2007)

Yes this person is Carl Dicker's girlfriend and he is the person walking with her in the photo on the ILPH site.  

He is still running a yard though is not 'technically' involved...another loophole.  This yard has no mains water - water is available from a stream on the land but there is no drinking water and it has to be moved around with buckets.  

I really think that H&amp;H should run an article on 'do you trust them', to make people more aware of the need for background checks, either when using a livery yard or moving horses. It seems many people don't do even the simplest checks.


----------

