Brentwood: Two Jailed For Pig Cruelty

Two slaughtermen from Essex caught on camera stubbing cigarettes out on pigs' faces and hitting them with a baton have been jailed.

Piotr Andrzej Wasiuta, 30, of Cecil Court, Jones Close, Southend, was locked up for six weeks.

His colleague Kelly Smith, 40, a father-of-three, of Church Road, Hadleigh, Benfleet, was jailed for four weeks after hitting the pigs with a "slapper".

He hit one pig 30 times in 62 seconds.

The duo were captured on film by the animal rights' group Animal Aid abusing the pigs at Cheale Meats at Orchard Farm in Little Warley, Brentwood, during March and April last year.

Wasiuta admitted three charges, and Smith admitted two, of causing unnecessary suffering under the Animal Welfare Act.

The chairman of the bench, John Newgas, told the men their behaviour was gratuitous.

Animal Aid's Head of Campaigns, Kate Fowler said: "We are satisfied that Wasiuta and Smith have now been brought to justice.

"Their acts of cruelty were inexcusable and caused untold suffering to animals who were already scared and vulnerable."