A man who persistently flouted a ten-year animal ban has been jailed - thanks to vital information from local farmers.

Michael Hawkswell was caught by police on six occasions breaching a court order to prevent harm or suffering to animals.

Following an investigation by North Yorkshire Police’s Rural Task Force, Hawkswell appeared at York Magistrates Court on Wednesday September 8 where he was sentenced to 32 weeks in prison.

In April 2019 Hawkswell was issued with an Animal Disqualification Order to prevent harm or suffering to animals. The ten-year order, under Section 34 of the Animal Welfare Act 2006, disqualified him from owning, keeping or participating in keeping any animals.

Acting on intelligence received about Hawkswell’s activities, Rural Task Force officers stopped him on the A1(M) on July 1, 2020. In the back of his Toyota Hilux were several crates full of poultry.

In total, officers found 47 hens, four geese, three guinea fowl, ten ducks and two cardboard boxes containing a dozen chicks.

Hawkswell, 45, from Nunwick in North Yorkshire, was arrested on suspicion of breaching the order. He was subsequently charged with this breach, and two more breaches after it emerged he had also been witnessed unloading, buying and selling poultry at auctions in June.

He pleaded guilty to these three breaches on April 16, 2021. However, he had continued to flout the order just weeks before that court appearance.

On February 24, 2021, he was stopped by officers in his vehicle in Harrogate. He was arrested after seven sheep were found in a trailer he was towing.

On March 23, 2021, he was again stopped in his vehicle just off junction 47 of the A1(M). And he was again arrested when police found two animal cages inside his vehicle, one of which contained a live duck.

He was charged with a further breach after officers located an animal movement certificate inside his vehicle, showing he had bought two goats from a farm in October 2020.

When he appeared in court on Wednesday, he was sentenced for all six breaches, in addition to an existing suspended sentence – a total of 32 weeks in prison.

He was also disqualified from keeping poultry, sheep and goats for ten years – until September 8, 2031.

In addition, he was disqualified from driving for 68 weeks.

PC Mark Atkinson, of North Yorkshire Police’s Rural Task Force, said: “Michael Hawkswell knew full well that he wasn’t allowed to have anything to do with animals – with a court order in place to protect them from suffering at his hands.

“However, he has repeatedly shown a blatant disregard for that court order, and persistently breached it on a number of occasions.

“Members of the farming community were aware of Hawkswell’s illegal activity, and came forward with crucial information, allowing us to arrest him and put him before the court. I would like to thank everyone who has spoken to the police in relation to Hawkswell’s activities – your assistance has been so vital and helped our team to put the strongest case together."