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An Angus animal porn offender has been sent to prison after social workers said they had reached the “end of the road” in efforts to rehabilitate him within the community.

Mark Findlater, of Kirriemuir, was banned from keeping animals for three years after a vile haul of images and videos depicting sex acts between adults and dogs, cows, pigs and horses was uncovered on his home computer.

Colleagues at an animal sanctuary where Findlater had worked found a link to the bestiality site on a computer after he left.

A search warrant executed at his home uncovered more than 1,000 images and 400 videos of sex acts between humans and livestock.

He was originally given a community payback order after he admitted possessing the extreme material between March 2011 and November 2013, but he repeatedly breached it and was warned by a sheriff he was “sorely trying” the patience of the court.

The breaches included continuing to keep animals in defiance of the ban.

Findlater, 32, appeared back in the dock at Forfar before Sheriff Gregor Murray on Thursday where solicitor Lynne Sturrock said her client recognised his failure to comply with the community order had left little option other than prison.

“Unfortunately, criminal justice feel they can no longer work with Mr Findlater and I think that decision has been made with a heavy heart,” she said.

“They really feel they are at the end of the road.”

She added: “He would be someone who would be very vulnerable in a custodial setting.

“Custody is something that frightens him, he is honest about that,” added the solicitor, who asked the court to consider a restriction of liberty order curfewing Findlater to his mother’s home.

Sheriff Murray told the accused: “When I first sentenced you I said these were horrendous offences.

“I said then that the choice was between what would be, because of the number of images, a relatively brief custodial sentence, or a lengthy community payback order.

“I think you understand a restriction of liberty order is nowhere near serious enough to deal with this, and in my mind there is no alternative to custody,” said the sheriff.

He jailed Findlater for seven months and placed him on the sex offenders’ register for 10 years.