A disorganised Angus farmer has been fined after he failed to keep on top of registering his cattle, resulting in 50 being put to sleep.
James Sephton admitted failing to notify Scottish Ministers of homebred animals and failing to apply ear tags to cattle within 20 days of their birth.
He also pled guilty to applying ear tags to cattle which had already been used on other animals.
His lawyer told Forfar Sheriff Court taking over his parent’s farming business had become “overwhelming” and he had failed to maintain essential paperwork.
Following inspections of his livestock operations with J&G Sephton and Sons in Carnoustie, Laurencekirk and Brechin, 50 of Sephton’s cows had to be euthanised due to his administrative inadequacies.
A sheriff told the 51-year-old farmer keeping on top of his business was “extremely important” and highlighted the risk of bovine tuberculosis in Scotland and beyond.
Anomalies uncovered
The court heard suspicion was first drawn to Sephton’s cattle by an Aberdeenshire slaughterhouse when staff found discrepancies with two cows he brought there in spring 2021.
Sephton’s operations were scrutinised by inspectors from the Scottish Government Rural Payments and Inspections Directorate.
Throughout 2022, they attended locations farmed by Sephton including at Barry Buddon near Carnoustie, Stoney Dale and Drumnagair Farm at Laurencekirk and Leuchlands Farm near Brechin.
During more than a dozen visits, anomalies and discrepancies were uncovered.
On occasions, Sephton was unable to provide calving books.
Animals were found to have no calving records, some had no tags and some were wearing other animals’ tags.
By April 2023, inspectors had found ministers had not been notified of the births of 165 cows, 57 animals had not been tagged and nine more were found to be duplicates.
Sephton, formerly of Montrose, explained he had become overwhelmed by his work and pled guilty to six charges spanning from October 2021 to November 2022.
The court heard Sephton’s previous convictions were not similar to his administrative offending.
Overwhelmed
Defence counsel David Moggach said: “He’s farmed since he was 15 in connection with the family business.
“His partners… had various lets. Things started to deteriorate with regards to the business and the management and handling of the business.”
Mr Moggach explained the situation worsened when Sephton’s parents stepped back.
“This resulted in a significant workload.
“There were numerous visits and inspections. I think initially they were sympathetic and tried to set Mr Sephton in the right direction and assist.”
Of the duplicate ear-tags, Mr Moggach said: “It’s perhaps not as sinister as it first appears.”
He explained the animals had lost their tags from scratching or bumping fenceposts and thinking he knew them, Sephton wrongly retagged them with recovered tags..
“Mr Sephton estimates that he had, as a consequence of his poor administration and bookkeeping, 50 head of cattle culled.
“He estimates as a conservative figure that’s a £40,000 to £50,000 loss to him and the farm.
“He’d already committed to renting grass at farms. That cost him £40,000.”
Mr Moggach added: “He knows it’s all of his own making.
“It’s because of being overwhelmed… his poor mental health and failing to cope.
“He has been able to secure the assistance of an agricultural agent who has now got his record-keeping in order and up to date.
“It is a very hand-to-mouth operation.”
Undermined inspections
Sentencing Sephton, Sheriff Donald Ferguson said: “It’s extremely important because the background is the fear of bovine tuberculosis and other possible diseases and the danger of separate and cross contamination.
“It’s completely of his own making.
“These are serious matters because they undermine the inspection of cattle and making sure that herds are safe. That is for the benefit of everybody in Scotland and possibly beyond.
“It’s clear that you had lost control of the situation.”
In all, the sheriff fined Sephton, of Glenlethnot near Edzell, £2,080.
Mr Moggach said his client would have to sell cattle to pay the fine.
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