A 76-year-old Forest Commoner who admitted flouting a court ban on owning dogs has been ordered to pay £1,322 in fines, court costs and surcharges by magistrates in Cheltenham.

As well as being sentenced to a 12-month community order, Jeremy Awdry, of Lydney Road, Bream was also told by the court that his two black and white Border Collies would be confiscated.

Prosecutor Alex Kirk, for the Forest Council, told the court that an RSPCA officer responded to reports on June 19 last year that sheep were roaming the Lydney area and that one of them was lying flat on its back with scabs, fly eggs and maggots all over its body.

“The RSPCA inspector believed that the sheep was owned by Awdry as the officer saw him arrive in a white van with two black and white border collies and collect the sheep,” said the prosecutor. “The inspector then informed the local authority of his observations.

“The second offence occurred on or about October 4, 2022, when Awdry was observed controlling and transporting a black and white collie in the area of the Dean Forest Railway.

“PC McDare had to stop her vehicle when she was faced by 15 sheep on the road. She spotted Awdry with a Border Collie, which was controlling the sheep.”

The court was told that the first offence was committed while Awdry was on parole from an earlier prison sentence for similar offending and the second was while he was subject to post sentence supervision.

Mr Kirk told the magistrates that Awdry had been sentenced to 25 weeks’ imprisonment after he admitted the breaches of the dog ban in February last year, but had only served seven weeks and was released early because his wife of 52 years was dying. She died three days later.

Mr Kirk concluded: “It was within weeks of his release on licence from prison that Awdry was reported as being in possession of a dog and was seen transporting it in his vehicle in June. “

The court heard that the prohibition order banning Awdry from keeping dogs indefinitely had been imposed at Gloucester Crown Court because he had been involved in running a puppy farm in squalid conditions and failing to meet the welfare needs of the puppies.

Alex Weller, defending said: “Awdry admits the two breaches of the order, which are many months apart. On both occasions the witnesses did not have any concerns over the condition of the dogs themselves. They were not suffering at the hands of Awdry.

“The offending in June is where Awdry was not the owner of the sheep, but was helping another farmer out, who at that moment in time was unwell. He admits going to the scene, having collected the two dogs, and drove the sheep away to receive further treatment.

“The second incident is when Awdry was rounding up his sheep from the heritage railway line. Awdry is ‘sheep badger’ and this has been his way of life for the past 50-odd years. It’s in his blood. He also worked as a milkman during this time.

“Awdry accepts this is the second set of breaches of the disqualification order. However, the sheep give him a purpose in life and keep his mental health in check.

“The pre-sentence report suggests that Awdry is clearly engaging well with the probation service, however the sticking point is the disqualification order. It is unworkable.

“This is because without the dogs he will find it difficult to look after his sheep. This is the busiest time of year as he is currently dealing with the lambing season. He has been set up to fail with this order. His flock will be affected if he is to be sentenced to a prison term today.”

Awdry pleaded guilty to both charges – one that on June 19, 2022 at Lydney he breached the order by transporting two black and white collie dogs inside a white van and the other tjat on or about October 4, 2022 at Lydney, he breached the order by way of controlling and influencing the dog having transported it in a white Nissan vehicle.

Presiding justice Paul Adey told Awdry: “You are disqualified from owning, keeping or transporting dogs indefinitely. You have breached this court order before and you’ve pleaded guilty to two further breaches.

“You knew what you were doing.

“Having been released from prison early to attend to your dying wife, you breached the prohibition order within weeks. That was a blatant disregard of a court order.

“Because you knowingly breached the order on two occasions we are imposing a deprivation order for the two Border Collie dogs.

“You will be sentenced to a 12 month community order and pay a fine of £400 and pay a contribution towards court costs of £900 and a mandatory surcharge of £22.”

Forest of Dean District Council’s animal welfare champion, Clle Nicky Packer said after the hearing: “The authority’s team do a fantastic job year round of ensuring that animals in our district are looked after properly, and hold those accountable should they mistreat or bring harm to animals in their care.

“The verdict should stand as testament to this.

“A ban on keeping dogs means exactly that. If, as in this case, it isn’t followed, our street warden and counter fraud and enforcement team will enforce it.”