A woman sentenced earlier this year to at least six months behind bars over animal cruelty offences and failing to comply with a court order restricting her ownership of horses, has wept while being told her prison time would be reduced on appeal. 

Janice Louise Denny, 61, also known as Janice Northey faced the Sydney Downing Centre District Court from Dillwynia Women’s Correctional Centre on Wednesday appealing her Bega Local Court sentence of 15 months in prison, with a non-parole period of six months handed down in March.

A visibly shaken Denny, from the NSW far south coast area of Tantawangalo, near Bega, was brought into the prison’s video link room in a wheelchair and sobbed heavily throughout Judge John Pickering’s summary.

Judge Pickering sentenced Denny to nine months in prison, with a non-parole period of three-and-a-half-months, meaning she will be released on June 30.

“I would not have imposed a sentence as lengthy [as the Local Court],” he told the court.

He told the court Denny was entitled to special considerations during sentencing due to suffering from “significant mental health issues”.

Judge Pickering told the court he was unable to give full reasons behind his decision because Bega court staff had failed to return the case file to Sydney in time and his need to complete a trial before going on personal leave.

“We still don’t know where the file is,” he told the court.

He told the court he would give his full hour-long reasoning for his judgement when he returns from leave.

Judge Pickering maintained Denny must still pay $452,623 in animal care costs to the RSPCA as well as $23,288 in court costs.

She must also dispose of any horses or ponies in her care within 28 days from her release from prison and has been banned from owning any horses or ponies for the next 10 years.

“I don’t even own the horses,” Denny screamed at the court after Judge Pickering handed down his judgement.

Denny also claimed her family members had been told by an abattoir that her horses had been “sent to slaughter” by authorities.

Denny last year pleaded not guilty to seven charges, including failing to comply with a court order restricting her ownership of horses for five years, aggravated cruelty upon an animal, and three counts of failing to provide vet treatment.

The court heard one of the animals involved had “struggled to survive” while suffering from intestinal parasites to the point it had to be euthanased.

Denny was found guilty after a hearing in Bega Local Court earlier this year, and was ordered to forfeit 45 mixed-breed horses and ponies for sale or disposal.

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