posted February 23, 2015 10:44 AM            

Father and son, Stanley Porter Snr and Stanley Porter Jnr, aged 80 and 44, were convicted on animal cruelty charges.

At Downpatrick Magistrates Court, a judge said: "It's one of the worst cases of cruelty in Northern Ireland or anywhere in these islands."

The farmers are from Ballycloughan Road, Saintfield.

Enforcement officer with the Department of Agriculture, Danny Grey, said the case was the worst case he had seen

Fifty-nine other animals were rescued from the farm.

An inspection of the farm found animals not being properly fed and watered, and not given dry areas on which to lie.

Stanley Porter Snr had claimed the animals were "thin but healthy"

Carcasses of dead animals were also found on the farm.

Last month, the father and son admitted a number of animal welfare charges, including causing unnecessary suffering to animals.

The father and son have each been jailed for four months for animal cruelty

They were warned two years ago about the state of their farm by inspectors from the Department of Agriculture and Rural Development (DARD) but failed to take action to help the animals.

The court heard that Mr Porter Snr claimed the animals were "thin but healthy".

A judge said it was one of the worst cases of animal cruelty in the UK

Danny Gray, head of enforcement at the Department of Agriculture and Rural Development Veterinary Service, said: "This was a shocking case of animal neglect and animal suffering.