MALCOLM MOSLEY OF KEIGHLEY CONVICTED FOR ANIMAL CRUELTY IN RIDDLESDEN

Malcolm Mosley, born around 1962 and residing at Primrose Farm on Ilkley Road, Riddlesden, Keighley BD20 5RE, was convicted in 2025 after neglecting dozens of cows and allowing them to suffer in filthy conditions.

Mosley failed to care for 45 cows on his farm and did not follow court orders to improve their living conditions or seek veterinary help. He admitted to nine charges related to causing unnecessary suffering and neglecting animal welfare.

The court was told that Bradford Council animal welfare officers visited Primrose Farm in September 2022 after concerns were raised about the treatment of the animals. Over a six-month period, inspectors conducted 13 visits and uncovered severe neglect, including:

- A cow with scarring on her rump caused by a bull attempting to mate; the bulls and cows were not kept apart.

- A cow who was extremely thin and had a broken leg.

- A bovine with an ingrowing horn that had pierced the skin behind its eye.

- A dead cow submerged in mud inside the barn and another stuck in frozen mud near the hay feeder outside the barn.

The animals were deprived of food, leading to widespread malnourishment and emaciation. Water troughs in the sheds were empty, and their living areas lacked bedding, forcing some animals to sleep on wet faeces.

Despite numerous notices from officers instructing Mosley to improve conditions and to have the animals examined by vets, little action was taken. In some cases, Mosley chose to have animals euthanised rather than treated.

When it became evident that he would be banned from keeping animals, he euthanised all the cows on the farm and closed down the premises.

Mosley's lawyer, Kathryn Pitters, defended him by saying her client had "acted incompetently rather than being deliberately sadistic."

In sentencing, Mosley received a 12-month community order with 300 hours of unpaid work, a contribution of £1,000 towards the £10,000 court costs, and a lifetime ban on keeping animals.

Sources include BBC News, Keighley News, and Telegraph & Argus.