Daventry man sentenced following theft and slaughter of two sheep at a farm near Rugby

A Man from Daventry has been issued a fine and ordered to carry out 80 hours of unpaid work after he stole two sheep from a farm near Rugby earlier this year.

33-year-old Ion Pinzari, of St Anne's Close in Daventry, stole two sheep from a Willoughby farm in February.

Police suspected he slaughtered the sheep on site before taking the remains.

PC Kate Taylor of the Warwickshire Rural Crime Team has shared an update of the case, which she has been dealing with since its beginning.

She said: "Last month I arrested Ion Pinzari... for failing to appear at court for this offence. He appeared at Leamington Magistrates Court the same day.

"On Sunday 16th February 2020 we received a report of a theft of two sheep from a field near to Willoughby, Rugby.

"Upon attending this report it quickly became apparent that the sheep were likely to have been slaughtered at the scene before being stolen.

"As part of our investigation Rural Crime Officer Carol Cotterill worked with Northamptonshire Police and Ion Pinzari was identified as a suspect.

"I then prepared an application to be heard at Leamington Spa Magistrates' court with a view to obtaining an urgent warrant to search his property in St Anne’s Close, Daventry.

"The application was successful and with the help of patrol officers and local Daventry Police, Team Sergeant Bob Shaw and I executed the warrant.

"During a search of the target address a number of items relevant to the offence were seized and a suspect was identified.

"PC Andy Timmins and I later interviewed and charged Ion Pinzari theft in connection with this offence.

"Ion Pinzari pleaded guilty at Leamington Magistrates Court, and has now been sentenced to pay costs of £135.00 to the Crown Prosecution Service, to pay a surcharge to fund victim service of £90.00, to pay compensation of £500.00, to carry out unpaid work for 80 hours and a community order to comply with the unpaid work requirement."

Illegal sheep butchery has been a prominent issue in Warwickshire in recent years.

The Advertiser has previously spoken to farmers, learning of the huge distress and financial harm these incidents cause.

Police believe that these incidents are more likely to happen on clear nights when there is better visibility from the moonlight - in particular when there is a fuller moon.

Officers also think that people may be visiting the area beforehand in daylight to plan, parking a vehicle where they cannot be seen and that they are choosing quiet secluded locations near to main roads.

Police warn all sheep farmers and rural communities to stay extra vigilant and have provided the following advice:

.If you own livestock or live near fields with livestock in please be extra vigilant and report any concerns to police.

.Report suspicious vehicles to police.

.Where possible graze livestock in fields away from roads.

.Review any weak points in fields in remote locations in particular where sheep are grazed near a main road.

.If your field is down a quiet track consider parking a vehicle to block access.

.Padlock field gates and ensure gates and boundaries are in good order.

.Consider checking your sheep on clear nights, in the early hours of the morning.

.Join the Rural Watch scheme.

.Set up a Whatsapp group to share information.

.Consider grazing other animals with sheep to deter offenders.

Contact your rural crime adviser to discuss crime prevention notices, cameras etc.

.Put your safety first and dial 999 if you believe an incident is in progress

Warwickshire Police is urging the public to remain vigilant and to report any suspicious activity by calling 101.

Information can also be emailed to [email protected] in confidence or via Crimestoppers anonymously by calling 0800 555 111.