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ANN SIM OF BARNSTAPLE SENTENCED FOR HORSE CRUELTY IN DEVON
Ann Michelle Sim, a 35-year-old owner of an equine sanctuary in Barnstaple, was convicted in 2020 of neglecting and starving multiple horses under her care. Born on August 26, 1984, Sim, who lives on Shearford Close, was sentenced to a 10-week jail term suspended for 12 months and received a decade-long ban on keeping horses.Sim, mother of three, operated North Devon Equine Rescue in Rumsam near Barnstaple. The RSPCA inspected her so-called sanctuary and found horses in extremely poor condition, with their spines and ribs clearly visible through their skin. The environment was described as chaotic, with animals living amidst rubbish and insufficient bedding.
Among the horses she cared for were ponies named Tiggy, Punchy, and Bumble, all of whom were found to have overgrown feet. One pony had to have its eye removed due to an untreated infection. The court learned that Sim initially established the rescue center with good intentions five years prior but struggled to cope when her personal circumstances deteriorated.
Prosecutor Kevin Withy stated, “Sim had been on the radar of the RSPCA for some time before the offences were committed between June and September 2019.” During the inspection, investigators discovered a mare and her foal in a stable so filthy and overcrowded that their ribs and spines were prominently visible, with limited water and poor bedding. The animals had been suffering for months without proper parasite control.
The chestnut mare, Bumble, was found with severely overgrown feet, and Sim had not contacted a veterinarian. The Welsh gelding Tiggy suffered from an infected eye that required removal, while Punchy was emaciated, anemic, and also had overgrown hooves.
Despite warnings from the RSPCA, Sim continued to neglect her animals, which the defense barrister Herc Ashworth described as a well-meaning attempt to “help abandoned horses back to health” with “no intention of causing suffering.” The judge acknowledged, “I accept it was not a deliberate act on your behalf.”
All the animals involved have since been rehomed. Sim was sentenced to a 10-week suspended jail term, ordered to pay £322 in costs, and banned from keeping equines for 10 years.
This case was reported by DevonLive and BBC News.
