Animal cruelty: Pingrup farmer John Skipsey, 80, fined for ‘barbaric’ castration of rams to get higher price

A Pingrup farmer has been convicted of animal cruelty after castrating rams in a “barbaric” attempt to get a better price at market. John Skipsey, 80, was sentenced at Katanning Magistrates Court on September 6 after pleading guilty to 12 charges of animal cruelty under the Animal Welfare Act. The prosecutor told the court that between May 15, 2020 and February 14, 2021, Skipsey was cruel to 12 rams by castrating them using a procedure he had researched online. The rams had been born in 2012 and were neutered at between eight and nine years old, after they had reached maturity. He did not use any anaesthetic. Skipsey then sold 20 wethers to WAMMCO between February 14 and 17 last year. He told the staff at the abattoir what had happened with the 12 rams, which were included in the sale. On February 18, the veterinarian at WAMMCO did a post-mortem on the slaughtered animals, identifying genital wounds. In one instance, a testicle was still on the sheep. The vet reported the incident to the RSPCA, and in April, Skipsey participated in an interview with the Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development in which he said he had carried out the procedure to get a better price at market. Expert veterinary advice obtained by DPIRD determined the castrations had occurred within the weeks of the slaughter. The prosecution described the acts as “financially motivated cruelty”. “The castration occurred years after it should have,” the prosecutor said. “It cannot be said he was using an industry practice. It was done with little regard for the rams and no anaesthetic was used. “A farmer of his experience should know better.” Skipsey’s defence lawyer told the court his client had used adult-sized elastration bands. She said he checked on the rams daily during the first week, then at “regular intervals” and they did not show any signs of distress. The defence accepted he had carried out the castrations to obtain better prices. Skipsey had farmed all his life, but he was not up to speed with modern standards and had been “shaken” by the experience, the defence lawyer said. The court was told the theft of 200 of his 1500 sheep had affected his financial circumstances. “While he did this procedure, he did not seek to hide it from WAMMCO,” the defence lawyer said. In her sentencing remarks, Magistrate Dianne Scaddan described Skipsey’s behaviour as deceptive. “You did it because you understood there would be a financial benefit,” she said. “It was a cruel and barbaric act. It is incumbent upon farmers to make sure their farming methods are contemporary.” Skipsey was fined a total of $24,000 for the 12 offences, with $16,000 of the fines suspended for 12 months.