Bruce Akers
| Personal information | |
|---|---|
| Nationality | Australian |
| Born | 28 February 1953 |
| Sport | |
| Sport | Wrestling |
Bruce Akers (born 28 February 1953) is an Australian former wrestler who competed in the 1972 Summer Olympics and in the 1976 Summer Olympics as well as the 1974 British Commonwealth Games.[1]
He later ran horses in picnic meets, but in 2016 was charged after 22 horses were found dead on his property.[2]
Home › News › Trainer jailed over neglect charges Former trainer jailed over neglect of horses 5 hours ago by Punters.com.au Bruce Akers has been jailed for six months Image: Getty Images
Former horse trainer Bruce Akers has been jailed over animal neglect charges stemming from his treatment of horses.
Akers will spend the next six months in jail after the County Court heard his appeal against a sentence initially imposed last May.
The revised sentence, which included a 12-month community corrections order, was only made public on Tuesday after the Herald Sun had a suppression order on the case lifted.
Akers was initially given 18 months' jail with a non-parole period of nine months, after admitting to 23 charges surrounding animal neglect at his property in Bulla, north-west of Melbourne.
At least 12 horses died on the property, with the Magistrates Court hearing that Akers had failed to provide food and water to them.
The RSPCA confiscated 21 horses during a raid in April 2016, of which three had to be euthanised.
Akers last trained racehorses in 2011 and last trained a winner in January 2007.
References
- ↑ "Olympics". sports-reference. Retrieved 19 June 2012.
- ↑ Bucci, Nino; Cowie, Tom; Bartley, Patrick; Calligeros, Marissa (4 April 2016). "Olympic wrestler arrested over death of 22 horses at Bulla property". The Age. Fairfax. Retrieved 4 April 2016.