Luke Comer jnr pays €20,000 to the ISPCA after decomposed horse carcases are found on his land

County Meath-based trainer Luke Comer jnr escaped a conviction at Navan District Court on Friday after decomposed horse carcases were found on his land, but has made a donation of €20,000 to the ISPCA and was ordered to pay legal costs of €3,075.

Comer is the son of the billionaire businessman and trainer of the same name who has appealed against a three-year suspension of his training licence and €840,754 in fines and costs after a dozen of his horses tested positive for anabolic steroids.

The prosecution was taken against Comer jnr by the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine. On March 13, 2021, he was accused of failing to collect, identify and transport category two animal by-products without undue delay under conditions which present risks arising to public and animal health in breach of EU regulations.

Prosecuting solicitor Mr Hanahoe told the court that two inspectors from the department had carried out an inspection, and in a location near the main yard found the “fully decomposed” carcases of nine horses. 

Deceased horses were normally brought to a knackery and an identity chip removed in order to provide traceability, but this was impossible in this case because the chips were buried in the undergrowth.

Hanahoe said that Comer was unable to provide an explanation for the presence of the carcases. After the inspection he had provided a receipt from a local knackery for the disposal of the carcases.

Defending barrister William Penrose told the court that his client had put a management system in place in March 2020 and had given authority to certain people to contact the knackery about the carcases. He said that Comer was "greatly taken aback" and knew nothing about the matter but cooperated fully with the department.

Judge Cormac Dunne said that the carcases were "in full view" beside an "active track" and he found that "pretty startling".

Penrose said that his client apologised profusely and had taken steps immediately to rectify the situation. The carcases had been found at a "forestry track" and not near a training track.

Judge Dunne said the court had a challenge in the "trapeze act" of balancing the law and justice. In this case he concluded the public interest would be served if Comer paid a €20,000 donation to the ISPCA and he struck out all the charges. Legal costs of €3,075 were ordered against him. 

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