A WORCESTERSHIRE farmer lashed out at an RSPCA inspector after a row over an injured sheep.

Worcester magistrates heard how Geoffrey Bott attempted to get the ewe into his 4x4 vehicle, despite inspector Julia Sly asking him to leave the injured animal until a vet arrived.

Sixty-five-year-old Bott, of Whitehouse Farm, Guarlford, near Malvern, was found guilty of threatening behaviour, swearing and losing his temper towards the RSPCA officer.

He had denied the offences, claiming he was acting in self defence because the officer had stopped him carrying out his farming duties.

Joan Gandolfi, prosecuting, said a member of the public had telephoned the RSPCA on Wednesday, January 2 to report a distressed ewe, on Lower Wyche Road, Malvern.

Mrs Fry told the court the sheep had a bloated stomach and green mucus gurgling from its mouth and phoned for a vet.

"A 4x4 approached very fast and braked hard - finishing about a foot away from my leg," said Mrs Sly.

"He (Mr Bott) said "I don't want no vet, get out of my way you bitch."

"He was very angry and red in the face.

"I said 'the RSPCA are paying the bill, don't move the sheep it is not fit to travel,'."

Mrs Sly said Bott and his son picked up the sheep and threw it into their vehicle.

She said she felt intimidated and threatened to report him to the police but he kept on swearing.

"He clenched his fist and then he hit me with his fist on the right side of the jaw. It produced a bruise the next day," she said.

Other witnesses also said they saw Bott throwing a punch and heard his threatening language.

Mark Lister, defending, said despite Bott flouting foot-and-mouth regulations earlier this year, he had never been convicted of a violent offence. In cross-examining Mrs Sly, he suggested she had been the aggressor during the confrontation while Bott was attempting to take the sheep carefully away. She denied the allegations.

"Mr Bott has been farming for 45 years and would know what to do with it (the sheep)," he said. "For whatever reason you were the aggressor throughout."

Bott was given a community rehabilitation order for 12-months and ordered to pay £263 costs. Magistrates were not satisfied that Bott had thrown a punch.