Stillmans abattoir, in Taunton, U.K. has a disturbing history of animal abuse. Even though animals go to the slaughterhouse to have their lives taken, it’s against the law to prolong and worsen the suffering of said animals who go to the slaughterhouse. 

In 2021 Andrezej Gutowski, 53, of Pyrland Fields, Taunton, pleaded guilty to the following charges at Stillmans (Somerset) Limited slaughterhouse:

While moving three young dairy cows to a stunning pen, repeatedly prodding the animals with a goad, including in prohibited areas thereby causing avoidable pain distress or suffering.

Kicking a young dairy cow, thereby causing avoidable pain, distress or suffering.


Failing to ensure that every animal was moved with care in that he attempted to place a young dairy cow into a stunning pen facing backwards.

Gutowski was fined a total of £2,000 and ordered to pay a victim surcharge of £190 and £160 costs.Read more here: https://www.somersetlive.co.uk/news/somerset-news/man-fined-three-animal-cruelty-7041922

On the Government website, it is stated that it is of upmost importance to stun the animal properly before death to minimise pain and suffering. This man intentionally prolonged and worsened the suffering of these sentient beings, and the fines he paid was not enough to get justice for those animals affected. https://www.gov.uk/guidance/red-meat-slaughterhouses-unloading-handling-and-holding-animals

Not only this, but a whistleblower, working for several periods from 1998 until the summer of 2016 at Stillmans,claims he witnessed a catalogue of hygiene failings at the plant.Official documents back up many of his claims.

The Bureau has obtained internal Food Standard Agency inspection audits for Stillmans from 2014 to 2017, demonstrating serious hygiene breaches. These audits are not normally made public.

The breaches include a significant level of faecal contamination of carcasses, failure to wash knives, and failure to stain animal byproducts so they are identifiable as unfit for human consumption. The failings are "likely to cause the production and handling of unsafe products,” one report said, demanding urgent action. Link here: https://www.thebureauinvestigates.com/stories/2017-09-19/blowing-the-whistle-on-the-meat-industry

Figures show 90% of slaughterhouses already have CCTV. Yet in 2016 more than 30 abattoirs refused to let FSA vets see film of animals being killed, according to an investigation by The Times, prompting fears that acts of cruelty could be being concealed. These reasons are enough to get Stillmans slaughterhouse to at least allow CCTV footage for public scrutiny or risk being shut down for failure to comply to animal welfare rules and food and safety hygiene regulations.