A FARMER convicted in his absence of breaching pig movement regulations during the foot-and-mouth crisis has won his plea to have his case reheard.
Alan Clement, 58, appeared at Sedgefield Magistrates' Court, County Durham, where his barrister, Donald MacFaul, urged that the case against Mr Clement be reheard amid confusion over what he had been sentenced for.
The court heard yesterday that Mr Clement originally faced 14 charges relating to moving pigs and failing to keep records of their movement from his farm in Roddymoor, near Crook, County Durham, to an abattoir, also in the county.
He was eventually found guilty, in his absence, of seven of these offences but there was some confusion as to what had happened in relation to the rest of the charges.
It was agreed that the case should be reheard because of the uncertainty and proceedings were adjourned, to re-appear at Bishop Auckland Magistrates' Court, on Monday, December 17, at 10am, for a pre-trial review.
Read more about the foot-and-mouth crisis here.
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