Overview

• Merthyr Tydfil Magistrates’ Court handed Corey Coleman a 12-week jail term suspended for 12 months, 25 rehabilitation days, a five-year ban on owning or working with horses and ordered him to pay fines and prosecution costs.
• The abuse was uncovered after Coleman, who was hospitalised with a back injury on June 27, falsely claimed a stallion had mounted him, prompting his employer to review CCTV from June and July 2024.
• Prosecutors detailed that Coleman sexually abused two stallions named Bear and Benny and exposed a mare named Nala to risk over several months, during which the horses became conditioned to his actions.
• Coleman admitted having an “unhealthy interest” in horses, is awaiting specialist counselling and highlighted the lack of structured psychological support for such paraphilias.
• The case has sparked scrutiny of volunteer oversight at public stables, raised concerns about children’s exposure to such abuses and reinforced enforcement of UK laws against animal sexual abuse.