A VET found guilty of causing suffering to animals has been jailed and given a lifetime ban from owning or keeping animals.

This afternoon (Wednesday), Awauh Ohene-Gyan, 53, was sentenced to 21 weeks each for four counts of causing suffering to pets he treated at his practices, Ashlyn House in Binfield and Woosehill Vets in Wokingham, last year. The jail terms are to be served at the same time.

Sentencing Ohene-Gyan at Reading Magistrates' Court, District Judge Lynne Matthews told him: "You have demonstrated that you are not fit to be trusted with the care of animals."

The court had heard he kept a lurcher dog in a cage for more than a month without treating its ruptured tendon; he carried out an unrecognised operation on a cat with a broken ankle that resulted in its leg being amputated; and he failed to properly diagnose a dog with cancer and another with chronic renal failure, resulting in both suffering then being put down.

Ohene-Gyan, formerlly of Emmview Close, Wokingham, had denied the charges. His defence counsel told the court he later took responsibility for his actions and had been suffering from financial worries at the time the animals were in his keeping.

For more on the case and reaction, see next week's News.