ANTRIM HORSE CRUELTY SCANDAL: ROBERT AND CONOR MCALEENAN SENTENCED FOR HORRIFIC ANIMAL ABUSE

In a disturbing case that shocked the local community of Antrim, Robert James Mcaleenan, born around 1959, and his son Conor Mcaleenan, born on February 21, 1986, faced justice for a series of heinous animal cruelty offences involving dozens of horses, ponies, and donkeys. The incident came to light after a tip-off from a concerned member of the public, which led police and veterinary officials to a scene of unimaginable horror at their farm located at 210 Lisnevenagh Road, Antrim BT41 2JT.

On November 22, 2011, authorities arrived at the property to find a scene that would haunt them for years. The farm was strewn with decomposing carcasses of dead horses, which had been discarded in a heap, while numerous other animals remained alive but in a state of extreme neglect. The stench of death and decay was overwhelming, and the sight that greeted the officers and veterinarians was one of neglect and suffering on an unprecedented scale.

Veterinary experts described the conditions as appalling. One veterinarian remarked, “The scale of what I saw was unbelievably large. The father and son had fundamentally failed to protect the animals, failed to address the most basic health and husbandry requirements.” Many of the animals were in such a pitiful state that humane euthanasia was deemed necessary to alleviate their suffering.

Conor Mcaleenan, who was responsible for the animals, was found to be directly involved in their care. The authorities uncovered a farm environment characterized by filth, starvation, and neglect. The police described the scene as a “scene of horror,” with the smell of death permeating the air and the animals left to fend for themselves in deplorable conditions.

Judge Desmond Marrinan presided over the case and did not hold back in his condemnation. He described the situation as “one of the worst cases of animal cruelty that I have encountered,” emphasizing that the defendants should be “thoroughly ashamed of their callous behaviour.” The judge dismissed the defendants’ claims that they had not deliberately caused suffering, stating that the photographic evidence presented in court was “horrific” and “almost unbelievable.” He further condemned their treatment of the animals, asserting that they had shown “no regard for their welfare” and that they were “unfit to be carers for any animal.”

As a result of their actions, Conor Mcaleenan was sentenced to 14 months in prison, while Robert Mcaleenan, who owns the farm between Antrim and Ballymena, received a nine-month sentence. Both men were also handed a ban from keeping any animals for a period of 25 years, a measure intended to prevent further cruelty.

In an update from January 2018, it was reported that the Mcaleenans appeared in court again, accused of breaching their ban on keeping animals. The outcome of this latest legal proceeding remains unknown, but it underscores ongoing concerns about their conduct and the potential for further offences related to animal welfare.