A farrier who was involved in cockfighting and convicted of animal cruelty has been banned by the Farriers Registration Council (FRC).
Raymond Weedall of Winsford, Cheshire, was found guilty of a number of charges, including keeping cockerels for fighting, by Chester magistrates on 18 May 2012.
The chairman of the FRC council, Commodore Richard Bridges, said Weedall had displayed what he called “an extreme level of cruelty”.
“The repugnance of the public for cockfighting makes it inevitable that the charges [proved against Weedall] amount to serious misconduct,” he said.
Weedall’s name was removed from the FRC register on 13 January, meaning he can no longer work as a farrier.
In addition to the cockfighting charges, the court found Mr Weedall guilty of keeping a wild bird, a goldfinch; of failing to take sufficient care of three ferrets, 59 cockerels, 39 hens and 22 chicks, and of removing the wattles of a number of the cockerels. The magistrates banned him from owning animals for life with a 20-week jail sentence, suspended for two years. He was also ordered to carry out 180hr unpaid work. He must also pay £50,000 to the RSPCA, which brought the animal cruelty charges.
On 28 May 2012, Weedall was convicted of firearms offences by the same court. He was convicted of possessing three shotguns and ammunition without a licence. He was given a two year conditional discharge.
This news story was first published in Horse & Hound magazine (14 February 2013)
