Sickening footage shows the animals squealing in pain as they are attacked by Troy Wagstaff, Artis Grogprkevs and Gavin Hardy at Fir Tree Farm in Goxhill, North Lincolnshire. The farm workers can be seen shouting at the pigs and laughing as one terrified animal tries to escape. The three men were given sentences of eight weeks, suspended for 12 months, at Grimsby Magistrates' Court yesterday, having previously admitted causing unnecessary suffering to animals.
The case was brought by the RSPCA after the farm workers were secretly filmed last April by Animal Equality, who received an anonymous tip-off about the abuse.
District Judge Daniel Curtis said: "Let me be very clear that the footage of the offences that you three have committed is sickening to watch.
"These were deliberate and gratuitous attempts to cause suffering, it was ill-treatment in a commercial context.
"For people who have worked in this industry for many years, you should be ashamed."
The farm workers kicked the pigs and stabbed them with pitchforks (Image: ANIMAL EQUALITY/MEN MEDIA)
The abuse was uncovered by animal rights group Animal Equality (Image: ANIMAL
