Man jailed for running illegal pet shop from home

A man has been jailed after he admitted running an illegal pet shop, which sold endangered and exotic species, from his home.

Robert Gillan is estimated to have made hundreds of thousands of pounds through what a judge described as “cynical exploitation” of the animals in his care.

Stafford Crown Court also heard many of the animals found in his home were likely to have suffered either physical or psychological harm.

Barred

Gillan, 40, of Upper Cross Road, Rugeley, was sentenced to two years and eight months in prison, and barred from dealing animals for 10 years, in a hearing on 13 February.

He had previously pleaded guilty to charges of participating in a fraudulent business carried on by a sole trader, failing to ensure the welfare of animals, and offering endangered species for sale without valid certificates.

The court heard he had traded as Staffordshire Pets since 2016 and was thought to have made more than £300,000 from selling species including African grey parrots, Hermann’s tortoises and macaws.

Suffering

A total of 162 animals, including exotic birds, guinea pigs, mice, sugar gliders and tortoises, were found during an initial search of Gillan’s home by police and local authority officials in May 2022.

Some were found to be already dead, while 27 more were deemed to either be suffering or likely to suffer. Veterinary examinations also revealed several showed signs of infections which had not been treated.

Mark Jackson, prosecuting for Cannock Chase District Council, described the care and welfare of the animals being offered for sale as “woefully deficient”.

‘Psychological stress’

He added that a vet who examined the animals found many were experiencing “psychological stress” as a result of their confinement in an environment that prevented them from exhibiting normal behaviours. All the surviving animals were subsequently rehomed.

Although Gillan admitted he “did not have a clue” about welfare legislation when interviewed, Rashad Mohammad, mitigating, insisted his client maintained a “genuine love” of animals and regretted his actions.

But judge Avik Mukherjee said his conduct had been “fraudulent from the outset”.