The horrific state of horses and dogs seized from a farm can be shown for the first time.

Two men were jailed last week after horses and dogs were starved on land at Forstal Farm, Loose, near Maidstone.

Warning: This article contains graphic images of animals suffering.

Medway Magistrates' Court heard Jimmy Price, who was jailed for repeatedly stabbing a deer in the throat, had let a horse and two dogs starve.

Both were seized by the RSPCA in March. The animal charity has now shared images from the raid.

Father-of-two Price, who lived on the farm, claimed none of the animals were his responsibility.

He told the court the horse belonged to his late father and he had sold both dogs, but they remained on site with him.

When the dogs, Tramp and Scout, were taken into the RSPCA's care, they gained 25% and 45% of their bodyweight respectively inside of seven weeks.

On Friday Price, 25, was jailed for seven-and-a-half months, he will spend half of it in custody.

He was ordered to pay £5,115 and was given a five-year order banning him from keeping dogs.

Another man, Danny Price had previously admitted one charge of causing unnecessary suffering to a horse.

The 29-year-old claimed the horse was not his responsibility as he had sold it to a friend he could not name.

The Bay Horse was found dead at the farm, having starved to death.

The jockey was given a 12-month community order. He will have to carry out 150 hours unpaid work and pay £1,585.

Samuel Powell, 34, of Forstal Road, Maidstone, was convicted of four counts of causing unnecessary suffering to an animal and a fifth charge of failing to ensure the welfare of an animal.

He had been previously found guilty of causing unnecessary suffering to a foal at Appleby Horse Fair.

A mare and its foal were found emaciated, ill and suffering with fleas in January 2019.

Two months later the RSPCA returned to Forstal Farm and seized three more horses. Two were described as "very thin," and a Shetland Pony was seen with a cut across the nose that went down to the bone.

Powell, who was convicted of manslaughter in 2008, said he had recently bought all of the horses and was trying to nurse them back to health.

He told magistrates: "I will buy horses that have not been treated properly. When I get them I feed them, look after them and rehabilitate them. Then I sell them for profit.

"I like to think I sometimes save lives when I buy horses."

Powell would not say where he bought the horses, telling magistrates: "I don't want to go into too much detail as I'm from the gypsy community."

Rowan Morton, prosecuting for the RSPCA, said: "Powell claims the horses were in a worse state when he acquired them. The reasonable action here would have been to get a veterinary surgeon to look at every new horse he acquires.

"To rely on the excuse 'I'm a member of the travelling community, we don't keep receipts or records' is simply implausible."

The father of four from Forstal Road, Lenham, was jailed for 26 weeks. He will serve half of that sentence.

Powell, a horse salesman, must pay £5,000 along with a victim surcharge of £115. He was banned from owning horses for five years. He can appeal after one year.

To read more of our in depth coverage of all of the major trials coming out of crown and magistrates' courts across the county, click here.

For information on how we can report on court proceedings, click here.

Read more: All the latest news from Maidstone.