A LIMERICK farmer convicted of "the most appalling" cruelty to animals has said he will get rid of his herd if he wins a council seat in this June's local elections.

Richard Smith (48) said that despite being a "controversial character" in Limerick, he will contest the elections in a bid to satisfy his lifelong political ambitions.

He will run his campaign in the shadow of a four-month prison sentence imposed last January which he is due to appeal later this year. "It's not an ideal time to be running because of my appeal, but unlike a lot of people, I put my hands up and said guilty when I was guilty," he told the Sunday Tribune after admitting to two charges of animal cruelty and one of failing to inspect his herd.

Limerick District Court judge Tom O'Donnell said that images of the cruelty were the most upsetting he had seen in all his time as a judge.

The Limerick Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (LSPCA) had asked that Smith, of Crecora, Co Limerick, be banned for life from keeping animals.

During the case, Judge O'Donnell said: "There was deliberate infliction of pain and suffering of the most awful nature. This was cruelty of the most appalling kind."

Smith, who says he was unsuccessful in getting on the Fine Gael ticket in 1999, claims that due to problems with his farm sheds, and unforeseen delays in getting them fixed, his herd of dairy cattle remained outside over the winter of 2007.

"I did my best with them outside but dairy cattle are not best kept outside. We lost a few and a few got hurt. I would take it [animal cruelty] very seriously [but] I am not a monster as I was made out," said Smith. He says he is now looking to give up the herd because he doesn't "want the hassle again".

Smith maintains there are a number of issues he would address if elected, including bin charges, rail services and a mandatory retirement age of 65 for public servants.