Two farm workers from a Norfolk farm where undercover filming led to the discovery of severe and systematic abuse of animals have been sentenced today.

The pair, Geoffrey Towell, 54, and James Dove, 27, worked at Harling Farm, East Harling, where they were filmed mistreating sows and piglets by an undercover investigator from animal rights group Animal Equality. The workers were filmed beating pigs with plastic and metal implements, kicking animals, throwing piglets and dropping them to the ground.  

Today they were sentenced at Norwich magistrate’s Court, where Towell received an 18 week jail sentence and was banned from working with animals for ten years, and Dove received an eight week suspended sentence, 180 hours unpaid work and was ordered to pay £300 court costs.  

Between them, the pair pleaded guilty to seven charges of causing unnecessary suffering and three violations of the Animal Welfare Act for failing to protect pigs from pain and suffering. District judge Peter Veits, said of the men's abuses, “These are among the worst cases of animal cruelty I’ve seen.” 

Animal Equality released its footage in February, sparking an RSPCA investigation into Harling Farm, which was certified by the Red Tractor scheme. Weeks after the Harling investigation, the RSPCA announced it was suspending another Norfolk farm from its Freedom Foods assurance scheme, pending an investigation into animal cruelty. Little Thorns Farm was also subject to an investigation following the release of further footage in March.

Days after the Harling case made national news, farm owner Stephen Brown was found dead near his farm. A coroner ruled he had taken his own life. An RSPCA officer commented in February that "The [Harling] footage is some of the most shocking we have ever received and we are taking this most seriously."

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