Two men are in prison tonight after one repeatedly stabbed a deer and another put an eight-month old foal to work.

Both men are from Maidstone, along with a third who admitted letting a horse starve to death. Warning, the following article contains graphic images and content.

Jimmy Price was today found guilty of causing unnecessary suffering to a horse and two dogs.

A video played to the court showed the dogs, Scout and Tramp, untethered and unfed at the 25-year-old's home address in Forstal Farm, Loose.

A voice in the video was heard to say: "If they run away good luck to them, I tell you what you're the wickedest fella I've ever seen in my life."

The father-of-two was previously convicted in December after repeatedly stabbing a deer. He was also caught hare coursing.

Footage of the stabbing was played at the time.

Rowan Morton, prosecuting for the RSPCA, said today: "It's very difficult to even explain the gravity of what the video shows.

"There are a group of four males that can be seen with a deer. Jimmy Price is seen stabbing the deer multiple times in the throat while others shout at him to stab it.

"It's very graphic and upsetting, there was no doubt that animal was caused significant pain and suffering."

Price, who was already serving a suspended sentence for theft offences, has previously been convicted of causing unnecessary suffering to dogs.

When Tramp and Scout were taken in to the RSPCA's care and fed properly, they gained 25% bodyweight and 45% bodyweight respectively within seven weeks.

On Friday Price was jailed for seven and a half months. He will spend half of it in custody.

'There was no doubt that animal was caused significant pain and suffering'

Magistrates in Medway ordered him to pay £5,115 in costs and charges and he was given a five year order banning him from keeping dogs.

Price's dogs and the horse, which belonged to his late father, were seized during an RSPCA raid on Forstal Farm in March last year.

Samuel Powell had three horses seized during the same raid, having had a mare and its foal seized two months prior.

Four of the horses were found to be emaciated. One was suffering with diarrhoea and the foal had breathing problems, fleas and was described as "very thin".

A Shetland Pony was found with a cut across the nose.

Powell accepted each of the horses was his own, but said they were in that condition as he was rehabilitating them.

He told the court: "I will buy horses that have not been treated properly. When I get them I feed them, look after them and rehabilitate them. Then I sell them for profit.

"I like to think I sometimes save lives when I buy horses."

When asked where he buys his horses, Powell said: "I don't want to go into too much detail as I'm from the gypsy community."

Last year Powell, 34, was convicted of causing unnecessary suffering to a foal which was seen walking up and down at Appleby Horse Fair pulling a cart with people in.

On Friday Powell was found guilty of four counts of causing unnecessary suffering to an animal and a fifth charge of failing to ensure the welfare of an animal. The five charges relate to the five horses seized from Forstal Farm.

'I like to think I save lives when I buy horses' - Samuel Powell

The father from Forstal Road, Lenham was jailed for 26 weeks, he will serve half of that sentence.

Powell, a horse salesman, must pay £5,000 along with a victim surcharge of £115. He was banned from owning horses for five years. He can appeal after one year.

A third man, Danny Price, from Victoria Court, East Farleigh, appeared in court today for sentencing, having previously admitted causing unnecessary suffering to a bay horse, in return a second charge of causing suffering to a bay mare, a black mare and a piebald mare, was dropped.

The bay horse was found dead next to a hay bale during the RSPCA raid in March 2019. It had starved to death.

Magistrates heard the 29-year-old had stopped looking after the horse as he was in the process of selling it, and thought it was the new owner's responsibility.

The qualified jockey was given a 12 month community order. He will have to carry out 150 hours unpaid work and pay £1,585.

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