A farmer's 14 cows were stolen by a gang after they were "tipped off" that farmers in the area were out on a stag do.
Sion Hughes, from Anglesey, North Wales, had his cattle stolen on December 10, 2022, and taken more than 120 miles away to Stoke, where they were found in a field with more than 100 cows.
After a police investigation to track down the thieves, Mr Hughes was taken to the field and was able to identify 14 of his herd - with 80 cows in total - despite their ear tags being removed.
He told Caernarfon Crown Court that on the night of the theft, most of the farmers in the area were out on a stag do.
He added the rustlers must have been "tipped off" to this fact, while Mr Hughes himself was working a night shift at a railway signal box.
Mr Hughes said in a victim statement he had homebred many of the cows which led to "more of an attachment and sense of pride".
It had a devastating effect on his family and felt "anger and sadness" when he learned they were stolen, he added.
An investigation by North Wales Police, led by its Rural Crime Team, used CCTV to identify four men who stole the livestock, with an estimated value of £20,000.
The cows were successfully identified by Mr Hughes despite the fact they their ear tags removed
|NORTH WALES POLICE
The four men - Liam Kettleborough, 30, of Rugby, Jack Billington, 23, of Wrexham, Stanley Jones, 27, of Wrexham, and Michael McLeod, 57, of Llay - travelled together in a Toyota pickup from Wrexham to Anglesey.
Kettleborough and Jones then collected a distinctive flatbed lorry with a storage container strapped to the rear and loaded the 14 cows, which were selected earlier that day, onto it.
Both the Toyota and lorry drove in convoy back to Wrexham.
The cows were then brought to a farm in Stoke, owned by Clifford Smith, 65, of Crewe, Cheshire.
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Two of the cows stolen by the rustlers had given birth to calves, which have now been returned to Mr Hughes
|NORTH WALES POLICE
In April 2023, police searched Smith's farm and located the stolen cows.
DNA testing confirmed Mr Hughes had successfully identified his cows, and further testing revealed two of the cows had given birth after being stolen.
The calves were also recovered from the Stoke farm and returned to the victim.
Kettleborough, Billington, Jones, and McLeod admitted to conspiring to commit a burglary in a building other than a dwelling with intent to steal.
Clifford Smith, 65, of Woore, Crewe, was also sentenced after he admitted to handling stolen goods.
The lorry used to transport the cows from Anglesey to Stoke
|NORTH WALES POLICE
Judge Nicola Jones said: “These people are feeding the nation and farming is massively built on trust. These animals were transported in the most inhumane way. It’s an absolute disgrace.”
Billington was sentenced to 14 months' imprisonment suspended for 18 months, and must complete 250 hours of unpaid work, 10 rehabilitation activity requirement days, and pay £1000 in compensation, alongside a 12 month driving ban.
Kettleborough received a 19 month sentence suspended for two years and mist complete 250 hours of unpaid work, 10 rehabilitation activity requirement days, and pay £1000 in compensation.
McLeod, received a 19-month sentence suspended for two years and placed under an electronically monitored six-month nightly curfew. He must also pay £500 in compensation.
Jones was given a 19-month sentence suspended for a year, and must undergo 200 hours of unpaid work, 10 rehabilitation activity days, and pay £1,000 in compensation.
Smith was also given a 12 month sentence suspended for a year and pay £200 in compensation. Additionally, he must undergo a 12 month mental health treatment programme.
PC Michelle Allsup said: “Thefts of this nature are thankfully rare, but they have a significant financial and emotional impact on businesses and families, often leaving rural communities left feeling vulnerable and intimidated.