Leek couple Matthew and Courtney Shuker banned from keeping animals for 12 years after calves and a dog left to suffer at Westwood Hall Farm

A Leek couple have received suspended prison sentences and lengthy animal bans after hundreds of calves suffered and a dog starved to death at Westwood Hall Farm.

A husband and wife from Leek have been given suspended prison sentences and banned from keeping farm animals for 12 years, after pleading guilty to letting hundreds of calves suffer and allowing a dog to starve to death at their farm.

Matthew Shuker, 38, and Courtney Shuker, 32, of Westwood Hall Farm, Westwood Park Drive, Leek, were sentenced at Telford Magistrates' Court on Wednesday 29 July, after admitting more than 30 animal welfare offences relating to incidents between 2022 and 2023.

What the court heard

The case was brought by Staffordshire County Council's Trading Standards team, with a separate prosecution by the RSPCA relating to dogs kept at the farm.

Jane Sarginson, prosecuting for the council, told the court that officers visited the farm repeatedly over a 13 month period and raised ongoing concerns about the welfare of calves. Some animals were emaciated through being underfed, while others had not received proper veterinary care. The farm's cattle had a mortality rate of around 25 per cent, compared with a national average of 9 per cent.

Dead calves were left uncovered, animals were not given enough dry bedding, and faeces were found in feeding troughs. More than 200 calves were removed from the farm in March 2023, after the couple failed to comply with an improvement notice, but the Shukers later restocked with more calves.

In a separate investigation, the RSPCA found that a German Shepherd named Ruby had been left dead in her bed for five days. A post-mortem found she had eaten wood shavings and plastic, which the court heard was down to extreme hunger. Four other dogs at the farm were signed over to the RSPCA and have since been rehomed.

The Shukers no longer keep commercial livestock, but Courtney Shuker still has 33 horses. District Judge Graham Wilkinson noted that the horses were well cared for, in contrast to the cattle and dogs, and gave her 90 days to find them new homes, while confirming the ban would not stop her riding in future.

Mitigation and sentencing

Stuart Jessop, mitigating, told the court that Courtney Shuker had gone through a very difficult pregnancy during the period of offending, which he said had placed the whole family under significant strain. He accepted the couple had been "grossly incompetent" and "out of their depth," but argued their actions did not amount to deliberate cruelty.

Judge Wilkinson accepted that Courtney Shuker had the stronger mitigation because of her pregnancy, and noted that both defendants had no previous convictions and pleaded guilty at the earliest opportunity. He also raised concerns about what he described as the couple's "obsessive" acquisition of more animals, at a time when they were struggling to look after the ones they already had.

Matthew Shuker was given a 38 week custodial sentence, suspended for 18 months, along with a £400 fine, 200 hours of unpaid work, and £15,587 in prosecution costs. Courtney Shuker received a 26 week custodial sentence, suspended for 18 months, a £200 fine, 140 hours of unpaid work, and £15,354 in costs. Both were disqualified from keeping farm animals for 12 years and companion animals, including horses, for 10 years.

Council response

Anthony Screen, cabinet member for community safety and resilience at Staffordshire County Council, said the case had involved "vulnerable, young animals whose basic welfare needs were not met," despite repeated professional advice and intervention.

"Investigations of this nature require significant time and public resources, but they are essential to protecting animal welfare," he said. "We will continue to support our animal health officers in tackling neglect and abuse, and repeat offenders who disregard professional advice should expect consequences that reflect the seriousness of their actions."

What the Shukers are doing now

Public records show the Shukers have moved into the animal feed trade since giving up commercial livestock farming. Companies House lists an active company, Blythe Animal Feeds Ltd (company number 16341846), registered at Westwood Hall Farm and incorporated on 25 March 2025. Courtney Shuker is recorded as the company's sole director, appointed on the same day it was formed. Matthew Shuker does not appear as an officer of the company.

The Signal notes that Blythe Animal Feeds Ltd is currently shown on the register as active, but with a proposal to strike the company off, and its confirmation statement is currently overdue. These are administrative filing matters and do not reflect any further finding against the company or its director.