LUKE GILLMAN, PUPPY FARMER FROM SALE, SENTENCED IN SHROPSHIRE FOR CRUELTY AND FRAUD

Luke Raymond Gillman, born around 1993 and previously residing in Stebbings, Telford, and now living on Helsby Road in Sale, has been convicted in 2025 for cruelty to over 50 dogs and puppies found living in extremely poor conditions. Originally from Leigh, Greater Manchester, Gillman was employed by a group of travellers initially based in Manchester and later in Telford, Shropshire, to manage a puppy breeding operation. The puppies were kept in dark, filthy kennels, with animals suffering from illness, including parvovirus.

The investigation was led by late RSPCA officer Kirsty Withnall, which involved executing multiple police warrants and resulted in the prosecution of Gillman along with the travellers Jeff James McDonagh and Betty Chanelle Burton. McDonagh and Burton were convicted of fraud and animal welfare offenses and received suspended prison sentences in July 2021. However, Gillman did not attend his trial and managed to evade arrest for the next three years.

According to RSPCA prosecutor Stuart Cooper, Gillman faced charges of fraud by false representation and breach of bail. Two additional charges of animal cruelty were scheduled for a magistrates' court hearing in Manchester after the crown court case. He noted that Burton and McDonagh played central roles in the operation and were sentenced to suspended terms, with Gillman taking on a lesser role.

The fraud involved the group selling puppies to families in Manchester and Telford, falsely claiming the puppies were home-bred. The gang would use 'borrowed' homes to make the sales appear legitimate, instead of directly selling from dog cages at the puppy farm. Many families purchased puppies from various addresses and were later devastated to find the animals suffering from illness, with some dying from parvovirus—animals that had often been denied veterinary care and vaccinations.

In total, more than 50 puppies were sold illegally through this scam. Many of these dogs suffered immensely, resulting in significant veterinary bills and emotional distress for the families involved, as described by Mr. Cooper.

The operation moved to Telford in 2017, where Gillman’s own home in Stebbings was used to sell puppies. Addressing Gillman in court, Judge Peter Barrie condemned the conditions in which the dogs had been kept, noting they had been bred for sale and kept in very poor conditions that led to illness. The judge also criticized Gillman for not attending his trial, remarking that the elaborate deception aimed to make it look as if the puppies were being sold by caring family breeders.

Judge Barrie, noting his own experience as a dog owner, described the offence as causing “huge distress” to those who bought the animals. He also expressed disappointment that Gillman had failed to show up for his trial.

As a result, Gillman was sentenced to 12 weeks in prison for fraud, with an additional three weeks for breaching bail by missing his trial—these sentences are suspended for 18 months. He was also ordered to complete 120 hours of unpaid work and was placed on probation.