Norfolk farm worker gets suspended sentence after admitting eight animal cruelty offences
Steven Woolger, a farm worker in Norfolk, received a 17-week prison sentence suspended for 18 months after admitting eight animal cruelty offences. The case matters because undercover footage showed repeated abuse of pigs in his care, and the judge said Woolger had breached his responsibility to protect them.
Animal rights activists filmed 781 hours at the Burgh Castle farm between May and September 2024; footage showed Woolger kicking pigs and hitting them with a pitchfork and plastic pipe. The judge considered his guilty plea, lack of previous convictions and reported PTSD, stress and anxiety. Woolger lost his job and is living on benefits while seeking work.
- Farm worker admits eight animal cruelty offences.
- Secret filming captured 781 hours at a Norfolk farm.
- He received a 17-week sentence, suspended for 18 months.
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Farm workers are responsible for the day-to-day care of animals on their farms, including protecting them from harm. Pigs can be injured or distressed by rough handling, so allegations about how they are treated can lead to criminal proceedings.
The case centres on Steven Woolger, who worked with pigs at a farm in Burgh Castle, Norfolk. Animal rights activists recorded footage there over several months in 2024, which was used as evidence about his treatment of the animals.
Animal cruelty offences can carry prison sentences, though courts consider the circumstances of each case when deciding the penalty. The case also raises questions about how animal welfare concerns on farms are identified and reported.
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Originally published by Daily Mail as “Farm worker filmed kicking pigs and hitting them with a pitchfork is given suspended jail term after admitting animal cruelty”.