Our appeal was successful

[uroplatus]

For those of you who are aware of it - myself and my partner were accused of animal cruelty by the local council. We were taken to magistrates court and in Arpil this year we were found guilty. We appealed last week and all animal convictions were overturned with a Crown court judge and two magistrates stating that there was no evidence given to the court to substansiate the claim by the council. Basically there was NO EVIDENCE. Our defence vet who stood up for us is a vet who normally prosecutes on behalf of the RSPCA and she would not have stood up for us if she had any doubt about the truth. All our sentences were overturned which includes the ban from keeping animals.
We were found guilty of blocking a fire exit in the shop which both myself and my partner admitted to doing and got a conditional discharge.

There was a very long and nasty thread posted about myself and my partner back in April (the link is below); with many people choosing to believe what they read in the papers and on the internet. Back then I stood up for myself and told everyone to keep their opinions to themselves until the outcome of the appeal. Well for those of you who doubted our innocence the proof is now here - for a well respected and extremely experienced Crown court judge to go with us is proof that the evidence just was not there. The last judge who did convict us said that due to our home conditions it was obvious we couldnt look after our animals - well in that case would that have meant if our home was a palace we wouldnt have got convicted? It makes no sense and we have been persecuted due to that opinion. I know people will make comment on dead animals found on the premises and I will say if you can find me a pet store in the land that does not get dead animals from time to time then I will be amazed. What was not listed was that most of the deads were found in freezers - some awaiting buriel after autopsies by our vet had been conducted by us. The council chose to do NO autopsies in this case which means that the animals they claimed died due to neglect was not proved and the fact that no autopsies were done proves that they knew if any were carried out they wouldnt show what they wanted them too. The fact that we did have autopsies done shows that we cared for our animals and wanted to know cause of death - we lost a couple of parrots after buying new ones in and wanted to know whether a disease had been brought in. If we didnt care we would not have done that, we wouldnt have spent the moeny we did getting lab reports and suchlike on the deads. Plus some of the deads were animals which came into us from suppliers unwell and subsequently died and some werent even ours! We had a few snakes which owners had brought in as non-feeders which died before we could get them to a vet so we stored the bodies to prove to the owners they had died. The method of freezing bodies to prove death to either suppliers or owners is standard practice throughout the pet industry and we were prosecuted.

I hope that those of you who passed judgement on us have the guts to come on here and publicly apologise for the wrong assumptions and hurt you have caused myself and my family.

http://www.reptileforums.co.uk/gener...shop-gets.html
Alink to the gazette website...
Gazette Live - News - Local News - Billingham animal cruelty case pet shop owners cleared on appeal

[sarasin]

CONGRATS LAUREN & CRAIG
What no replies yet, you all had plenty to say when they were found guilty.

[ChrisNE]

I hadn't read the previous post until now but I'd like to think I'd have kept an open mind and not joined those slating you. I've spent the last half hour reading through it. Well done on winning the appeal and sorry you had to endure so much. And so much from the people on here!

Chris

[Salazare Slytherin]

Well I can say I am glad you have been found inocent and anyone who did not care for there animals, would not have fought against this what I will say however perhaps this is a strong learning curve for everyone not to pass judgement ontil the outcome of events is silenced..

everyone is entitled to there own opinions yes but those opinions should be kept to themselves especially in regards to something like this.

well done by the way I hope you will eventually recover
Kindest regards Dixon

[sarasin]

-KATO I will quite gladly eat my hat if the convictions are quoshed

-Kato Well when the conviction is overturned, you just let me know and I'll eat my hat. lol

I would love to see that, mind you dont choke on it.

[neep_neep]

Originally Posted by uroplatus

I know people will make comment on dead animals found on the premises and I will say if you can find me a pet store in the land that does not get dead animals from time to time then I will be amazed. What was not listed was that most of the deads were found in freezers

Having just read some of the comments on the Gazette article you have just linked, it does seem like Joe Public genuinely thinks that dead animals get buried in a little garden out the back of the shop Naivety spilling out into vindiction, that's what annoys me.

Having worked in a pet shop, I know that animal freezers can build up their numbers before the cremation people come to collect... does this mean 100s of pet shops around the country should be prosecuted too?

[Salazare Slytherin]

the problem is that people do belive what the papers say I know that they are just people who do exagerate the truth to its highest...

the media is lies people nothing but lies I know trhis to be true as I had an incodent last year lol il not go into details but once the media published this it was a load of waffle also on the other hand you can thank the meduia for this reptile keeping hobby to have a bad name I shall say no more.

[bluejon91]

congratulations the truth will allways come out int the end

[Juggernaut]

congrats, but make sure you sue them, they made you look like scumbags

[joeyboy]

Hmm this calls for a step by step recipe!

1) Take action against council if possible

2) Take action against newspaper or at least make them print an article about your successful appeal.

3) Post this in the lizard sub-forum, I want to see hats getting eaten!

Gosh I remember this now! I didn't comment as tbh I wasn't there and didn't know all the facts, I know the council know f-all and make up crap, but at the same time I know forum members on here can stick up for friends even when in reality they've done wrong, so I was waiting for the final result.

Congrats on the real truth getting out though, must have been terrible to be banned from keeping animals. Are you allowed to open your shop again?