A man who stole five sheep from a farm and then illegally butchered them in his garage has been ordered to pay out £150.
Vladut Boberschi, 34, from Telford, had stolen five sheep from a smallholding in April 2020 and then killed them for meat in his garage.
Mr Boberschi then fled the country until 2023, when on his return to the UK he was arrested.
At Birmingham Crown Court, Mr Boberschi was given a community order and fined £150.
Police National Livestock Theft Coordinator, Martin Beck said he was caught at the end stages of illegally slaughtering stolen sheep.
"There was no regard for the welfare of these animals, he kept sheep at his home with their legs tied before inhumanely killing them.
“These sheep were also unfit for human consumption as they had been medicated by the farmer prior to being stolen and slaughtered in an unhygienic environment."
Thousands of farm animals are reported missing and stolen each year across the UK.
Last year, the crime cost farmers an estimated £2.7 million, and a number of incidents saw animals butchered on fields.
Livestock theft doesn’t just affect farmers, it also leads to the suffering of animals and increases the risk of disease.
