Crime, Dorchester | Posted on February 9th, 2026 | return to news

Dorset farmer banned from keeping sheep for shocking neglect

A north Dorset farmer who mistreated dozens of sheep has been convicted of animal cruelty.

A north Dorset farmer has been convicted of animal cruelty and banned from keeping sheep after it was discovered that he mistreated dozens of sheep. The neglect shown to his herd was described as “shocking”.

The charges came about after Dorset Council’s Trading Standards service received a complaint about the conditions of sheep in a field at Ansty. A site visit in January 2025 discovered that 140 were being kept in awful conditions.

An investigating officer found the sheep were on a field with very little grazing and no supplemental food.

Many of the sheep appeared emaciated, and 11 were deceased. The investigator also found one lamb in a water-filled ditch and two ewes very close to death. One of the distressed ewes had to be euthanised and the lamb later died during examination.

Following the site visit, a vet from the Animal and Plant Health Agency told the sheep’s owner, Nigel Anthony Turner, to provide immediate care and shelter to a ewe that was unable to stand. However, when the vet and Trading Standards returned the next morning, the ewe had not been moved and had died.

Meanwhile, several rams were also being kept in the field, which resulted in indiscriminate breeding and some ewes in lamb when they were too young.

Another site visit in February 2025 found more welfare issues. Many of the sheep were emaciated, and several were not ear-tagged, which is a legal requirement. Turner was asked to provide movement and medicine records for the sheep but failed to do so.

Nigel Anthony Turner, 56, of Ryme Intrinseca near Sherborne, pleaded guilty to 19 offences at Weymouth Magistrates’ Court on 26 January 2026.

The court imposed a 12-week prison sentence, suspended for 12 months. Turner was ordered to pay a £154 victim surcharge and a £500 contribution towards the prosecution costs. He was also banned from owning or keeping sheep for two years.

Cllr Gill Taylor, Dorset Council’s portfolio holder for Public Health and Prevention, said: “The vast majority of livestock keepers in Dorset care passionately about their animals, and so it is very disappointing and frustrating when cases like this happen.

“This was an appalling and shocking case of animal neglect, and we will not tolerate such acts of cruelty.

“Our Trading Standards team will investigate cases like this thoroughly and take steps to ensure they are not repeated.”