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BRYA INGRAM / STUFF / Marlborough Express
A shearer beat a lamb to death and then took it home to feed his dog. (File photo)
WARNING: GRAPHIC CONTENT A shearing contractor has been jailed for beating a lamb to death out of frustration over a broken pair of scissors.
Christopher John Tredinnick repeatedly struck the animal, fracturing first the eye socket and then the skull during the incident on a North Canterbury farm in February.
The 51-year-old later lied to the farm owners about how he had died, claiming that he had suffocated while shearing and told them he would take him home to feed his dog.
The Ministry of Primary Industries (MPI) investigated and Tredinnick was indicted, who later pleaded guilty to one count of willful abuse of a lamb.
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He was jailed for 16 months in Alexandra District Court on Friday, but could request house arrest, MPI said. He was also banned from being in charge of any animal for two years.
The incident occurred on an Oxford farm while Tredinnick was shearing lamb.
When he began to fight, his scissors broke and he reacted by hitting the lamb in the eye with the tension knob of the scissors, fracturing the eye socket.
Tredinnick put the lamb back in a pen, only to go back and beat it again, fracturing its skull.
The lamb died from his injuries and when Tredinnick finished work he put it in the cab of the vehicle, lying to the farm owners when they confronted him.
MPI investigators recovered the lamb’s remains from Tredinnick’s home, and a post-mortem examination revealed multiple fractures to his skull, which MPI said would have meant he suffered significant pain and distress before he died.
MPI’s National Animal Welfare Manager Gray Harrison said Tredinnick’s actions were appalling.
“He deliberately made this lamb suffer and tried to hide that fact.
“Animals need and deserve to be treated with respect, and Mr. Tredinnick did not meet those expectations.
“This type of offense on the part of shearers is unusual. Most are professionals and do the right thing.
“However, our message to those who deliberately cause this kind of suffering is clear: we will investigate them and bring them to court.”
