Owners of malnourished horses sentenced

BURGAW - A Hampstead man, his wife and his brother have been sentenced to probation after 10 malnourished horses were seized from his property.

Billy Joe Suttles and his wife Laura Westbrock of Hampstead, along with Larry Suttles, of Holly Ridge, pleaded no-contest to one count each of animal cruelty on a negotiated plea, said Harold Pollock, the defense attorney.

Judge Russell Davis sentenced them Tuesday to three years of unsupervised probation in Pender County District Court.

The horses, along with eight dogs and a pig, were taken from a farm Suttles owns in northeast Pender County May 7.

According to the plea agreement, Veterinarian E. J. Lackey from Ogden will determine if and when the horses may be returned.  She will also monitor and treat any returned horses on a quarterly basis for 12 months, Pollock said.

Any not returned will be adopted or euthanized at the owners' expense. 

Pollock said the owners are required to pay for the care and upkeep of the animals at Scotts Hill Stables since they were taken in May, and are also required to pay for their continuing boarding and treatments.