Farmer must pay $68,750 for neglecting stock

By Anne Clarkson

An elderly Waiau farmer will have to pay $68,750 for leaving his stock suffering from lack of feed after the “weather-bomb” dumped snow across the South Island in June 2006

His sheep were under-nourished and seriously underweight, and 380 were so emaciated that they had to be destroyed after Ministry of Agriculture inspectors and veterinarians intervened.

Christchurch District Court Judge Raoul Neave fined Melville John Dalmer $8750 on charges of ill-treating sheep and failing to ensure that the physical health and behavioural needs of the sheep were met, and ordered him to repay $60,000 of the ministry’s costs.

Seventy-five-year-old Dalmer’s trial started on Monday and was scheduled for two weeks but he pleaded guilty after three days.

Defence counsel James Rapley told the court today that the farm was unprepared for the events of a dry autumn followed by a heavy snow fall and Dalmer was doing his best in trying circumstances.

He was a hard working family man, active in local affairs, with good character, he said.

There was no risk of the problems happening again. There was a new hay barn to hold more supplementary feed, he said.

Judge Raoul Neave said this was a tragic blip in an otherwise exemplary life.

He said it was a significant operation for the ministry involving 14 days and 26 staff.

He accepted that at no stage there was any intention to cause the animals harm, and said that it was a tragic series of errors and misjudgments for the animals and for Dalmer.

He said Dalmer was willing to make changes needed, and gave full co-operation, so there had been no further problems in the three years since this incident.

He did not disqualify Dalmer from having charge of animals because of his age, good character, and knowing that it was not deliberate neglect.

He said Dalmer had already had significant costs in making the improvements, and showed genuine remorse.

Dalmer has been farming on the Annandale property for 46 years, on land that his been in his family for generations. He expects to continue farming for about another three years before he retires.