Devon farmer receives lifetime ban after investigation uncovers shocking animal cruelty
Report by Duncan Williams for Pulman's Weekly News
A Honiton farmer has been handed a suspended prison sentence after what a judge described as “a script from a horror movie”, following shocking animal welfare abuses uncovered at his farm.
David Rosewell, of Crook Farm in Combe Raleigh, appeared before Exeter Magistrates’ Court where he pleaded guilty to multiple offences, including failing to provide for the needs of his livestock and neglecting to dispose of animal by-products.
Rosewell was sentenced to 18 months in prison, suspended for 12 months, and ordered to complete 150 hours of unpaid work. He must also pay £18,251 in costs and charges and has been banned for life from owning or caring for cattle, sheep, pigs, goats or poultry.
Joint inspections by Heart of the South West Trading Standards, the Environment Agency (EA), and the Animal and Plant Health Agency (APHA) in March 2024 exposed appalling conditions on the farm.
Officers found domestic waste, scrap metal, broken concrete and abandoned vehicles strewn across the site. Deep slurry filled the yards and animal sheds, among which lay numerous decomposing cattle carcasses. More animal bones and remains were discovered scattered across nearby fields.
Cattle were left without dry shelter, forced to stand and lie in slurry, and many were kept outdoors during winter in waterlogged fields with little to eat. Several were emaciated and required urgent veterinary treatment, while others were found dead or dying.
One young calf, whose mother had perished, was discovered lying in a yard full of slurry and household litter.
Despite repeated warnings and instructions to improve the animals’ welfare - including removing carcasses, repairing buildings, and providing adequate feed - follow-up visits later in 2024 revealed that Rosewell had failed to take any meaningful action.
The court heard that the Environment Agency had previously visited the farm several times between 2022 and 2023 due to the mismanagement of slurry, which posed a significant pollution risk. Rosewell was issued with an Anti-Pollution Works Notice in March 2024, ordering the removal of slurry and repairs to the farm’s roofs and gutters, but he did not comply.
In sentencing, District Judge Smith condemned the “prolonged ill treatment and harm”, remarking that the photographs submitted as evidence were “shocking and striking”.
“Farming is a demanding profession,” he said, “but in this profession you failed to meet the needs of your animals. You became overwhelmed and numb to their suffering. Animals had starved to death and were likely suffering due to the appalling conditions on the farm.”
Fakir Mohamed Osman, Head of the Heart of the South West Trading Standards Service, said Rosewell’s continued refusal to act left authorities with no choice but to prosecute.
“Animals were found living in appallingly bad conditions,” he said. “If you are a farmer who is struggling, support and advice are available on the Trading Standards website.”
Councillor Simon Clist, Devon County Council’s Cabinet Member for Trading Standards, said the case was a rare but serious breach of animal welfare law.
“Despite efforts by our officers and APHA vets to work with the defendant, animals were repeatedly found with insufficient food, inadequate shelter, and in poor health,” he said. “Most farmers take animal welfare very seriously, but when advice is ignored, we will take appropriate legal action.”
An APHA spokesperson described the case as “one of the worst examples of farm animal suffering and neglect” seen in recent years.
“The sentence is welcomed and demonstrates effective collaboration between agencies,” the spokesperson said. “APHA takes breaches of animal welfare legislation extremely seriously and will continue to investigate such cases.”
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