A Manhattan carriage driver burst into tears Monday after a jury acquitted him of overworking his frail colt Ryder — who collapsed on a Manhattan street in 2022 and died months later.
A jury of six Manhattanites acquitted Ian McKeever, 56, of a misdemeanor animal abuse count after a trial where the driver blasted the charge against him as “ridiculous,” saying he’s “never been accused of abusing a horse” in his decades-long career.
McKeever began sobbing after the not guilty was read aloud in Manhattan Criminal Court Monday morning.
After taking a moment to collect himself, he then turned around to the court gallery, flashed a grin and gave a thumbs up.
“I’ve been doing it 40 years, and I’ll be going back.,” McKeever told reporters afterward. “It’s my life. I’ve been doing it my whole life.”
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