2000: PET SHOP OWNER KEPT ANIMALS IN FILTHY CONDITIONS
A PET shop owner convicted of keeping a monkey called Sinbad in a filthy cage escaped jail yesterday, Wednesday.Animal rights campaigners reacted with dismay after Robert Ralphson was given 240 hours community service by Leigh magistrates, after an investigation found Capuchin monkey Sinbad was living in squalor and fed on chocolate and cola.
But Ralphson, of Fowley Common Lane, Culcheth, claims he has been unjustly treated after he was told by JPs that he is banned from keeping any animals for 10 years.
He told the GUARDIAN that he had rescued the monkey from a life in an animal research laboratory 18 years ago.
Sinbat's plight was discovered when the RSPCA and Wigan environmental health officials raided Ralphson's pet shop in Leigh last July.
The 42-year-old was away on holiday in Florida and had asked a 15-year-old schoolboy, who worked for him, to look after the premises in his absence.
Ralphson confessed to four offences of causing unnecessary suffering to Sinbad and an iguana.
Ian Richards, spokesman for North West Animal Rights, said outside court that his group had wanted the pet shop owner to be jailed and prevented from looking after animals for life.
Added Mr Richards: "We wanted a custodial sentence so he would appreciate the restriction on his freedom.
Sinbad had his freedom restricted for 18 years." Magistrates ruled that while the offences merited prison, Ralphson's conduct, in failing to provide adequate care of the animals, amounted to negligence rather than cruelty.
Ralphson was allowed by the court to keep two aging family pet dogs, cross-bred labrador Gizmo and a mongrel whippet called Max, as there would have been problems rehoming them.
Reacting to the verdict, Ralphson admitted he thought the sentence was going to be worse but that his livelihood was now ruined.
"Thank God it is all over with now - this has been going on since last July.
I will have to find something else to do now," he said later.
Sinbad is now being cared for by the Animal World sanctuary in Dorset and Ralphson's shop, Pet Corner, has been sold.
He must also pay £600 court costs to the RSPCA.
