‘The mental scars may never heal’: no prison for man who beat foal in prolonged attack

A man who subjected a months-old foal to a prolonged and “shocking” physical attack has been banned from keeping animals for life – but not sent to prison.

Sean McWhinnie was caught on CCTV beating months-old filly Faith in an ordeal lasting an hour and a half, punching her in the face and wrestling with her while she was trapped in the stable with him.

The 42-year-old of Jackie Wigg Gardens, Totton, Southampton, was sentenced at Southampton Crown Court yesterday (11 May), having pleaded guilty to mistreating the foal.

Hazel Stephens, prosecuting on behalf of the RSPCA, said that on 8 November 2021, RSPCA inspector Tina Ward had attended a farm in East Wellow Romsey, Hampshire, where she was met by a field officer for World World Horse Welfare who had responded to concerns about the welfare of a foal.

“McWhinnie had subjected the six-month-old foal to a prolonged attack in which he punched her in the face when she was trapped with him inside a stable, causing her to spin around, and also started wrestling with the animal,” an RSPCA spokesman said.

Ms Ward added: “The foal was extremely distressed, running backwards and forwards trying to escape.”

Warning, upsetting video content

A vet who examined Faith found she was very anxious around people and that her body language showed fear and distress, concluding that this behaviour could have been caused by the trauma, fear and pain the foal experienced.

In mitigation, it was said McWhinnie had mental health issues and that prison would not benefit him. He was given a five-month prison sentence, which was added to sentencing for unrelated offences to make a total of 17 months, suspended for 21 months. 

Faith was taken in by World Horse Welfare and has since been recovering at the charity’s Glenda Spooner Rescue and Rehoming Centre in Somerset. It was field officer Penny Baker who visited the yard at which Faith was kept.

“We welcome the lifetime ban on keeping all animals, however we are very disappointed that the prison term for this abhorrent offence was suspended because in our opinion this very young foal suffered terribly at the hands of Sean McWhinnie and the deliberate attack that he subjected her to,” Ms Baker said. “I feel, I’m sure along with the rest of this nation’s animal lovers, that this was worthy of a prison term with immediate effect.

“When I first got to the yard Faith – who was a just-weaned very young foal – was in a real state. She was very distressed, and when I tried to enter her stable, in self-defence she put her ears flat back, turned her bum towards me and tried to kick – that filly was terrified.” 

Ms Baker saw the CCTV coverage showing the “sustained attack and beating of the foal in the stable by Mr McWhinnie, whilst the foal’s owner and another woman sat outside in full view of what was going on inside the stable”.

The owner of the foal, Maxine McWhinnie, who witnessed her brother during the incident, had signed an undertaking in court on March 13. She agreed, voluntarily, not to be involved with owning or keeping of horses.

Ms Baker said Faith has been slowly recovering.

“Her physical scars quickly healed, but her mental scars may never completely go,” she said. “This kind of experience is likely to leave a mark on her for the rest of her life. We thank all of our supporters and donors whose direct help goes towards supporting horses and ponies like Faith.”

McWhinnie cannot appeal his ban for 10 years. He was also ordered to carry out 200 hours’ unpaid work, and 20 rehabilitation activity requirement days, and pay £156.

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