TWO Hampshire farmers have narrowly avoided being jailed for causing cruelty to animals – after they went to court in a bid to reduce their community punishment for their crimes.

A judge told Anthony Ward and Sarah Moore they had “absolute and total disdain”

for court sentences and the suffering they inflicted on young pigs and calves was “deliberate and callous”.

They still keep 44 cows, 20 pigs, five horses, 30 goats, a racoon, chickens and geese on their New Forest farm, but now have 28 days to remove animals after being banned for five years from owning, keeping, caring for, dealing or transporting pigs and cows.

A vet told Southampton Crown Court it was a “miracle”

some of the emaciated animals were still alive when she inspected Oaklea Farm, Sway, but several had to be put down that day to avoid further suffering.

One pig was just six-inches wide and others trampled because they were too weak to stand in crowded pens.

Eleven racoons were found lying on broken wire netting in a wet and dirty animal pen, although the pair were cleared of keeping them in unfit conditions.Both have previous convictions for animal cruelty and Ward, who tried to stop inspectors entering the 14.5-acre farm, is already banned from keeping horses and ponies.

In July, they were found guilty of 16 offences after the official visit in February, just a month after the pair received conditional discharges for similar charges.

Daily Echo: For a video of the top stories in today's Daily Echo, click the front page.

They appealed, but on the day of their hearing dropped their bid to overturn nine charges of causing unnecessary suffering, after prosecutors accepted the other convictions could be removed.

But when they tried to get their sentences reduced – Ward, 58, was ordered to complete 200 hours unpaid work and 43-year-old Moore was given a 12-month supervision order – they didn’t get the reaction they hoped.

The panel led by Judge Andrew Maitland told the couple, who have been together 25 years and have two daughters, the appeals had “no merit whatsoever”.

He added the original magistrates’ court punishment wasn’t severe enough because it would have taken weeks or months for the animals to become so ill.

Judge Maitland said: “Both appellants treated that conditional discharge with nothing short of absolute and total disdain.

“Your attitude to animals was deliberate and callous and we don’t accept that this was in any way accidental because you didn’t see something was happening. You knew what you were doing.”

Ward was sentenced to a total of six months behind bars and Moore three months, but those terms are suspended for two years.

Both must pay £500 costs for the appeal hearing.