Farm worker jailed after being filmed battering pigs to death with plastic pipe and picking them up by their ears in 'hell hole' farm

Geoffrey Towell, 54, jailed for 18 weeks after undercover filming revealed horrific abuse at Harling Farm, Norfolk

Co-worker James Dove, 27, receives suspended sentence

Farm owner Stephen Brown shot himself in the head after abuse was uncovered earlier this year

A man who was caught on camera beating pigs to death at a 'hell hole' farm was jailed today for animal cruelty.

Geoffrey Towell, 54, was seen hitting five sows with a plastic pipe - beating one of the sows 35 times.



He also killed three pigs by smashing them on the head with a metal bar and using unnecessary force.

His colleague James Dove, 27, was filmed hitting sows with a plastic pipe and throwing pigs over a barrier.

Both men were filmed picking up pigs by their ears and dropping them on the ground at Harling Farm in Norfolk.

The undercover investigator who captured the abuse footage - too graphic to be shown in full below - branded the farm a 'hell hole' and said he saw 'suffering and death' he will never be able to forget.

Scroll down for video - EXTREMELY GRAPHIC CONTENT

Campaign group Animal Equality filmed terrible scenes of animal cruelty at Harling Farm, Norfolk, for two months last summer

An undercover investigation revealed horrific animal cruelty at Harling Farm, Norfolk



One emaciated pig was filmed with a hernia clearly protruding from its body in a case that ranked 'among the worst cases of animal cruelty' the district judge at Norwich Magistrates' Court had ever heard



Shamed farm owner Stephen Brown took his own life after the abuse to his animals was uncovered



Towell was jailed today for 18 weeks and Dove was handed a suspended jail sentence for animal cruelty.

The horrific abuse was uncovered in secret filming by campaign group Animal Equality.



The footage showed workers beating pigs with iron bars, battering piglets, scraping knives across their backs and smashing animals onto concrete floors.

More than 200 hours of sickening footage and 300 photographs were collected by the charity’s investigator.



The evidence, gathered over two months last summer, also exposed long term neglect and horrific brutal animal torture.

The case was described as 'among the worst cases of animal cruelty I have seen' by a district judge at Norwich Magistrates' Court.



Shamed Harling Farm owner Stephen Brown, 52, shot himself in the head in a suspected suicide on Valentine's Day this year, three days after the investigation was released to the media.

The farm had been certified by the Red Tractor food quality scheme - which claims to ensure food is produced ethically and to 'high standards of safety'.

The Red Tractor label is supposed to give food quality assurances to customers and retailers. It is still being investigated which stores stock meat from Harling Farm.

The undercover investigator recounted the horrific moment Towell battered a pig to death with an iron bar.

He said: 'Geoff grabbed the handle from the gate as usual and smashed it over the head of one of the sick piglets.

'It took him several blows before he finally cracked the skull, sending the animal into spasm.

'He then shouted at me to help him throw the animal into the dead bin.

'It took me a few seconds to react as I just cannot get used to him doing this.

'The blood was pumping out of the animal’s head, and pieces of brain.

'I got hold of the leg and the blood went all over my boots, the floor and the dead bin.

'As soon as the piglet was inside the bin, Geoff put the lid on and walked away.'

Towell from East Harling, Norfolk, pleaded guilty to five counts of cruelty to pigs and piglets, contrary to Animal Welfare Act 2006.

Farm worker Geoffrey Towell has been jailed for 18 weeks for his part in the terrible abuse inflicted on animals at Harling Farm, pictured, while colleague James Dove received a suspended jail sentence



He also pleaded guilty to one charge of failing to protect pigs from pain and suffering, contrary to the Animal Welfare Act 2006.

Towell also admitted using unnecessary force to handle piglets and one charge of failing to protect pigs from pain and suffering, by lifting pigs by the ears and dropping them from waist height.

He was jailed for 18 weeks and banned from the keeping, managing, husbandry, care or control of farm animals for 10 years.

Dove, from Wymondham, Norfolk, who now works as a lorry driver, pleaded guilty to two charges of cruelty by kicking and hitting sows with a plastic pipe and throwing pigs over a barrier.

He also pleaded guilty to two charges of failing to protect animals from suffering by lifting pigs by the ear and leg, dropping them to the ground and kicking them while moving them.

He was given an eight week jail sentence, suspended for a year, and ordered to carry out 180 hours of unpaid work.

In mitigation both workers told Norwich Magistrates’ Court they were sorry for their actions, that they had received no training and they had asked for help.

A third farm worker accepted a formal caution from the RSPCA.



Chief Inspector Mark Thompson, the RSPCA’s farm animal welfare officer, said: 'The cruelty meted out by these two men was sickening.

'They showed absolutely no respect or compassion for the pigs in their care and instead treated them with hostility, violence and aggression.