Slaughter of Pigs – Thin Case Says Magistrate

March 1941

Mexborough & Swinton – Saturday 01 March 1941

 Slaughter of Pigs

Thin Case Says Magistrate

Alleged illicit slaughter of pigs on a Conisborough farm led to a Ministry of Food prosecution at the Doncaster West Riding Police Court on Tuesday.

The defendants were William Goodwin, butcher, who was ordered to pay £2 for slaughtering certain livestock contrary to regulations and for failing to give requisite notice, and John Greasby, farmer, who was ordered to pay £2 10s. for aiding and abetting the first offence and for producing bacon on unlicensed premises.

Prosecuting for the Ministry of Food. Mr. W. L. Crawford said that on. Sunday, December 22nd. Sergt. Parkin and a police constable found signs of a recent slaughtering at Church Farm, Conisborough. The matter was consequently reported to Mr. A. Wolfe, divisional food inspector.

It was found that one of the pigs had been set down for bacon and no licence for the purpose had been obtained. The premises were not licensed for slaughtering. Inquiries were made and it was found that three pigs had been slaughtered by Goodwin on Greasby’s instructions.

Mr. D. Dunn defending, said Greasby was a tenant farmer and was under the impression that he was entitled to slaughter one pig every three months for his own use. Greasby failed to obtain a licence or permit but if he had done this he could have slaughtered and would also have been allowed to produce bacon.

Mr. Dunn added that on the Sunday evening Greasby saw that one pig was lame and the other anparently had rheumatism. He therefore gave instructions for the pigs to be slaughtered. He maintained that both were emergency slaughterings and Greasby intended to give the necessary 48 hours’ notice to the proper authorities. Before he could give notice however, the police intervened.

Mr Dunn explained that if the pigs had not been slaughtered certain parts of the animals would not have been fit for human consumption.

The Chairman (Mr Nokes) said the case was very thin and the magistrates did not regard it as a bad one.