Animal abusers Wasiuta and Smith brought to "justice"

Two animal abusers who admitted torturing pigs at an abattoir seemingly for the enjoyment of it were this week “brought to justice”.

I put the phrase in quotations because for what they did, I don’t think there is anything that can count as justice.

Certainly a couple of weeks in the slammer can't compensate sticking cigarettes in animals’ faces, or battering them with clubs just for the fun of it.

Piotr Andrzej Wasiuta, 30 and Kelly Smith, 40, were both secretly filmed by animal rights group Animal Aid at Cheale Meats in Brentwood, Essex.

They were given 10 weeks behind bars after pleading guilty to charges of animal cruelty.

That’s 10 weeks for inflicting stress, pain, and physical harm on animals just because the process of hurting them gave them pleasure.

I think they got off pretty lightly.

Wasiuta was seen pushing a lit cigarette onto the forehead and snout of three pigs and forcing hot ash into one of their faces.

He was given six weeks.

Smith, an experienced slaughterman of 14 years, battered the animals with the edge of a “slapper” used to move the pigs around the pens before slaughter.

He was filmed hitting one pig 30 times in a minute - forcing the animal to sit down and pant heavily during the blows.

The 40-year-old father-of-three was jailed for four weeks.

Jeremy Sirrell, defending Smith, said he beat the animals because he was “under pressure at work”.

I really hope he said that as part of his duty as a defence lawyer, and not because he really believed it justified his client’s actions.

“They were expected to slaughter 1500 animals, or units as the company would call it,” he said.

Prosecutor Duncan Penny told Westminster Magistrates’ Court: “These acts were pointless, served no purpose and demonstrated to his colleagues his contempt for the animals he was dealing with.”

 As he sentenced them  Magistrate John Newgas told Wasiuta and Smith: “You have both seen the pictures of what took place.

“They show clear animal cruelty no doubt about it.

“You should have known what you were doing was wrong, and must have known it was wrong.”

Animal Aid’s Head of Campaigns, Kate Fowler said she was pleased with the result.

She 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.”

No image I have seen in the news has come close to making me feel the disgust as the ones of those men jeering and laughing as they tormented animals in their care.

I know there are people who will immediately jump down my throat for this sentiment, telling me at least they weren’t humans.

Well unlike humans, animals do not have a voice to plead their tormentors to stop.

Ten weeks in prison?  I hope karma has more in store for them than that.