Council inspectors seized a horse living in a house just hours before its owner was to finalise a strategy to avoid it “from being lifted,” Stornoway Sheriff Court has heard.
The comhairle took away Stephanie Ann Noble’s adult Connemara pony, called Grey Lady Too, in February 2014, claiming its living conditions for the previous two years in the front room of her home at Broadbay View, Back, in Lewis, were too cramped and broke government guidelines.
Though Ms Noble is still the official owner, the local authority is forced to pay thousands of pounds in looking after it.
The council is embroiled in a long running court case to try and obtain legal ownership so it can sell the horse.
Giving evidence in court, Ms Noble said she had devised an arrangement where a friend had “agreed to buy” the pony.
“I knew the clock was ticking” referring to looming enforcement action, she said.
She told the local authority’s advocate, Mark Mohammed: “I freely admit this was a temporary stopgap and she was willing to sell it back to me.”
This was to prevent the pony from “being lifted” by the council, she added.
The pair finalised the plan two days before the council raid. But the woman “had to work on the Wednesday and was to come on the Thursday” to complete the sale.
Before that deal was executed, council animal welfare officers -
At the scene, Ms Noble accused the officials of “theft as the pony no longer belonged to me.”
Mr Mohammed claimed she was “just making it up” while Ms Noble insisted she had a “letter” somewhere.
Ms Noble said she acted for the health of the pony when it was “dumped” in her front garden on a cold Christmas Eve in 2011.
After forming a stable out of “strong wooden partitioning” from recycled fencing, she used a Liberal Democrat election sign and tape to seal off electric sockets which had the power isolated, laid down MDF sheets, a heavy tarpaulin and specialist rubber matting to protect the floor. She also removed the living room door and padded the frame with lots of bubble wrap, she explained.
After one of a number of spats with Mr Mohammed in court, the lawyer requested she “just focus on answering the question instead of answering back.”
Ms Noble insisted she met government guidelines for housing the pony, pointing out she did not need special qualifications to understand what were actually just recommendations and “not a law.”
She added: “I might not know anything about elephants but I will know if an elephant would fit through my door or not.”
“If three fat ladies sat on an Italian sofa they would weigh far heavier” than the Connemara pony, she stressed when her counsel, advocate Stewart Buchanan, queried if the floor could bear the weight.
She also pointed out it was “virtually impossible -
Ms Noble told the court she would build a shelter in her garden within two days if the horse was returned to her.
The case before sheriff David Sutherland continues.
Council inadvertently foils “horse trading” deal, court hears
27 June 2017
Grey Lady Too being taken away on council orders.
Stephanie Ann Noble wants her pony back
The council had a waiting horsebox ready to drive to the Uist ferry