A Lauderdale County man facing 220 animal cruelty charges is back in jail after defying a court order to sell the animals he was accused of abusing, records show.

David Wilson Coffman Jr. was arrested in early March after authorities found starving and malnourished animals alongside dead animals on his property. Lauderdale County Sheriff Rick Singleton told The News Courier in March there were more than 300 head of cattle on Coffman’s farm, which was estimated to be around 800 acres.

Veterinarians and local farmers came together to help save the living cattle. The Times Daily reported Oct. 14 that Coffman was indicted on 34 counts of aggravated cruelty to animals, 36 counts of failure to bury livestock and 150 counts of cruelty to animals.

Coffman was released on $203,500 bond. He was also required to wear a GPS ankle monitor. Lauderdale County Circuit Court Judge Gilbert Self ordered Coffman ordered Coffman to “deliver or cause to be delivered the cattle at issue to the stock yard in Lauderdale County” by Oct. 29, records show.

However, prior to transport, Coffman ignored warnings from the court that his ankle monitor’s battery was low. The battery died, disabling the GPS and violating the court order. In a request to revoke his bond, prosecutors claimed Coffman removed the cattle from his farm but failed to deliver them to the stock yard. As a result, Coffman was arrested on a bench warrant Nov. 16. The cattle remaining on his land were loaded and sold by someone retained by the court.

A trial date has been set for Dec. 10.

Previous arrests

Coffman was arrested by the Limestone County Sheriff’s Office in February 2014 after residents reported cows on his pasture off Alabama 99 had resorted to eating leaves and twigs. Nine emaciated cow carcasses were discovered on the property.

He was given a suspended sentence of 180 days in the Limestone County Jail and ordered to pay a $500 fine. Two months after the February arrest, in April 2014, Coffman was arrested by the Lauderdale County Sheriff’s Office.

A Lauderdale deputy found “several animals” on the ground, unable to move. Coffman was charged with four counts of animal cruelty and one count of resisting arrest. Records show he pleaded guilty in August 2014 and paid restitution.