A GWENT farmer was jailed for four months after he allowed 21 cows to starve to death on a mountainside.

David Roger Weeks, 40, was found guilty of 15 counts of animal cruelty at Abertillery Magistrates Court yesterday.

He was sentenced to a total of 14 months - two terms of three months, two terms of two months and one term of four monts, all to run concurrently.

The court heard that 21 cows out of 70 Mr Weeks kept on land near the Silent Valley council tip site in Waunlwyd, Ebbw Vale died through neglect.

Chairman of the magistrates, Dr Chistopher Rowlands ,said it was the "the most appalling case of animal cruelty we have ever dealt with".

He added: "You effectively watched the animals die. They were kept in a poor condition for a prolonged period of time."

The cows were found by the RSPCA between January and March 2006.

In court, Weeks, from Ty Gwyn Farm, Ty Gwyn Road, Gilwern, and who represented himself, said he was "ashamed" of what had happened but said he was unable to buy food for the cows because of delays in subsidy payments. He said he had no other way of getting money.

Weeks was working in a full-time job working for a food manufacturer at the time and said he sold his quad bike and tractor to raise money.

He said: "They've been well looked after. It was heart-wrenching to see what was going on and I'm very sorry. It was out of my control. I couldn't get any more assistance financially."

Andrea Jones, for Blaenau Gwent council which brought the case, said: "Having no money is no excuse for starving animals to death. It must have been clear to you as a farmer they were starving."

Weeks was found guilty of eight counts of offences against the protection of animals act, one against the agriculture act and six against the welfare of animals act.

He was disqualified from keeping animals for three years.

He had received a caution in 2003 for causing suffering to a mare, the court heard.

FARMER WAS "MORTIFIED" AT WHAT HAD HAPPENED AFTER the hearing, Sonja Taylor, Weeks' partner, said he would never intentially cause such cruelty and added that the farmer was "mortified" at what had happened.

She said the couple were desperately waiting for subsidies which never came, and Weeks was forced to take a job in west Wales.

"He was too ashamed and embarrassed to ask for help - it was hearbreaking for him," she said.

The couple have two sons aged three and 11 months.

"Every day he was driving to and from west Wales then he would drive a tractor to Raglan to collect fodder, before driving to Cwm. I was seven months pregnant at the time so I couldn't help much."

The couple rent Ty Gwyn Farm in Gilwern, as well as the land on which the herd is kept, near Cwm.

Ms Taylor said a family friend was helping her with the rest of the herd. She said she didn't know what would happen in the future or if they would stay at the farm.