CONVICTED (2019) | horse dealer and serial offender David Wilkinson, born c. 1974, from the village of Low Moor, Bradford BD12 – for the neglect of two horses with overgrown hooves and untreated health issues Traveller Wilkinson was the owner of an Appaloosa mare, who had overgrown hooves and had received inadequate dental care, and a Skewbald mare, found with a lice infestation and a bilateral nasal discharge, at Kirkby Stephen in Cumbria. Wilkinson was charged with three animal welfare offences by the RSPCA and pleaded guilty. This was Wilkinson’s second similar offence within four years. . In November 2015 he was ordered to pay more than £2,000 and carry out 135 hours of unpaid work in the community after neglecting a horse at Soulby. The skewbald mare, known as Annie, was left in unsuitable conditions and not given proper care. The court heard that Wilkinson failed to adequately investigate and treat the cause of the mare’s poor body condition. He also admitted failing to protect her from pain, suffering, injury and disease, by leaving her rugged in an unsuitable environment. A third charge of failing to provide adequate veterinary care and attention to a uterine infection was dismissed after no evidence was offered by the prosecution. He was not banned from keeping horses for the 2015 offence as at that point he had no previous convictions and was “of good character”. The loss of livelihood and impact on his family were also taken into consideration by magistrates. Following his latest conviction, however, Wilkinson WAS given a disqualification order. Sentencing: 12 month community order with 200 hours unpaid work. He was also ordered to pay an £85 victim surcharge and £1,411.72 costs. Banned from owning, keeping, participating in keeping or transporting horses for eight years (expires September 2027). Source (removed): Cumberland & Westmorland Herald Source for the 2015 offence was also the Cumberland & Westmorland Herald but their article has been removed from their website.