A farrier who harassed and injured his girlfriend, and threw a dog out of a car, has been suspended from the professional register.
The Farriers Registration Council (FRC) held a hearing into the conduct of farrier Scott D Manson, of Cheltenham, late last year. Manson was charged with having been convicted, at Cheltenham Magistrates’ Court, of causing fear of violence, contrary to the Protection from Harassment Act 1997, for which he was given a six-month prison sentence, suspended for 18 months. He was told to undergo an accredited rehabilitation programme for 30 days, made subject to a restraining order until June 2021, and ordered to pay compensation.
An FRC spokesman said: “The FRC disciplinary committee noted that the facts underlying the conviction included violent, abusive and sinister behaviour while the guiding principles of the code of professional conduct require that farriers should uphold the good reputation of the farrier profession, and be professional at all times.
“The committee decided that Mr Manson had breached these principles, and that his behaviour, which had fallen below the standards required of a registered farrier, amounted to serious misconduct in a professional respect.”
The committee was also told of a warning issued to Manson by the FRC investigating committee over an incident in 2017, which was connected to the incidents that led to his conviction.
“When Mr Manson was interviewed by the police about the matters leading to his conviction he described picking up a dog and throwing it out of a car,” the spokesman added.
“The dog suffered a fracture of the pelvis and subsequently died; Mr Manson described the incident as an unfortunate accident.
“The disciplinary committee found the facts proved on the basis of Mr Manson’s criminal conviction.”
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In considering its actions, the committee “noted that there had been a serious departure from professional standards including violence towards a dog” and decided that the appropriate sanction was removing Manson from the register.
“The committee considered a number of aggravating and mitigating factors and decided that suspension from the register for six months was the appropriate sanction to retain public confidence in the profession. Mr Manson was suspended from the register on 22 December 2020 for six months.”
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