Man denies sexual intercourse with a Shetland pony

A man from Doncaster accused of having sex with a Shetland pony told detectives he was not sexually interested in animals, a court has heard.

Alan Barnfield, 44, is on trial at Sheffield Crown Court accused of having sex with the pony called Sky on a farm near Doncaster in 2012.

Police interviews were read in court yesterday in which he repeatedly denies the offence or being sexually attracted to horses.

In his interviews, the defendant described how had he gone for a late night walk by the farm and had fed grass to the larger of two horses.

But he insisted that the smaller horse – known as Sky- would not come over to him and he never stepped over the fence into its field.

He also insisted he did not know how a video of a man having sex with a horse and other images of bestiality got onto his mobile phone.

The officers asked him directly "have you ever had sex with a horse" and "have you ever touched any animal in a sexual way".

The jury was told that he answered "no" to these questions.

He denied in the interviews that he was sexually attracted to animals.

Prosecutors say the defendant was sweating profusely and smelled strongly of horses when the police arrived.

The prosecution case is that Barnfield assaulted the pony with two bottles before having sex with it.

The jury has been told that horse DNA was found on the defendant.

Giving evidence at Sheffield Crown Court today, Barnfield denied he was carrying three cans of deodorant in his bag "to help with any horse smells" after the alleged encounter.

Prosecutor Louise Reevell had been asking Barnfield about why police who spoke to him on the night found him "sweating profusely" and "smelling of horses".

Mrs Reevell asked the defendant whether the deodorant was "to help with any horse smells you may have to deal with".

Mr Barnfield replied "No" and said he was on medication for blood pressure and taking painkillers which made him sweat a lot.

Barnfield denies having sex with a pony called Sky in a field in the village of Loversall in the early hours of August 8 2012.

A further count of outraging public decency was also put to him today and he also pleaded not guilty to this charge.

In the witness box today, Barnfield repeatedly denied having any sexual interest in animals and any sexual contact with the horse.

Mrs Reevell said to him: "What part of a horse are you most attracted to?"

The defendant replied: "I'm not attracted to horses."

Prosecutors have told the jury that Barnfield, of Hexthorpe Lane, Hexthorpe, Doncaster, was spoken to by police after people living near stables in the village of Loversall rang officers because they thought he may have been a horse thief.

But he admitted that he had previously pleaded guilty to possessing images of bestiality, involving a woman and a horse.

Dressed in a black T-shirt and black trousers and sporting long brown hair and a goatee beard, Barnfield repeatedly denied that he had inappropriately touched or had sex with Sky.

The trial continues.