Truckie accused of 'starving' goats
August 26th, 2008
Keith Simpson leaves Darwin Magistrate Court. Picture: Chloe ErlichA QUEENSLAND truckie has faced court over starving 1500 goats of food and water during a 65-hour trip to the Northern Territory.
Keith Simpson, and his company Keith Simpson Transport, have pleaded not guilty to 96 animal cruelty charges involving more than 1400 goats the company trucked 3000km from near Bourke, NSW, to Acacia, on Darwin's outskirts.
Twelve goats were dead on the truck when it arrived in Darwin on July 27 last year after a 65-hour trip, the Darwin Magistrates Court heard yesterday. And - despite veterinary treatment - a further 318 died or were euthanased as they continued to suffer from the stressful trip through to November.
The Northern Territory News was told that if the case against Mr Simpson was proved, it would be the biggest Animal Welfare conviction in the Territory's history.
Mr Simpson's lawyer David Francis said the truckie was only a middle operator in an export chain "where a number of linkages" had "fallen down in their duty".
But Brisbane-based exporter, Adam Armstrong, who hired Mr Simpson and was going to on-sell the goats for export to Malaysia, said the truckie had agreed to a transport plan that included two drivers - or one driver and a 12-hour water, food and rest stop en route to the Territory.
Mr Armstrong said Mr Simpson went against this and "the goats went straight through" with one driver, who took rest stops, suffered a flat tyre, and had a minor accident on a bridge along the way.
Darwin mango farmer, David Joyce, who agisted the goats, said he was "not happy" to see dead goats on the truck when it arrived.
He said the sick goats - which were "staggering" - reminded him of the "bad old days" when animal welfare standards were not enforced.
He said the accepted time limit for transporting goats without food or water was 38 hours.
The hearing continues today.
http://www.ntnews.com.au/article/2008/08/26/5455_ntnews.html
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