A karozzin owner was taken to court today and accused of being cruel to his horse.

Paulseph Pirotta, 21 of Qormi, was accused of not having provided water to his horse nor sheltered it between November 24 and 25 last year. He was also accused of having tied up his horse and abandoned it for a long time.

Pirotta was also accused of committing the crime during the period of a probation order issued in February last year.

Emanuel Buhagiar from the Animal Welfare Department said he was informed by the police that three horses had been left tied up at Valletta Waterfront at 3 a.m

Asked by Magistrate Anthony Vella whether the horses had been examined and whether they were in a state of ill health, he said they were not examined. However leaving a horse tied up at 3 a.m. to be in a good position for passengers several hours later was considered cruel.

The horses were taken to the police cavalry section, whose officers said that the horses were cold. This, he said was a case of neglect.

The case continues.