But just weeks ago a court heard the 66 remaining cattle on the farm near Fivemiletown were in a “reasonable state”, with the owner expecting the herd to be taken off him. Martin Beattie (59) of Shantonagh Road, Fivemiletown, was sentenced in June after earlier pleading guilty to 21 offences linked to animal welfare, animal by-products and veterinary medicines legislation. The slaughter has provoked criticism, with one local representative describing the public shooting of the animals as “very inhumane” and “extremely upsetting. The public shooting of the animals raises serious questions, DUP MLA for Fermanagh South Tyrone Deborah Erskine said. She said: “There are regularly incidents where Daera has to go in to cull animals for welfare reasons, but something went very wrong here.”