Fine, compensation ordered over horse-cremation fraud

People paid Philip John Cooper hundreds of pounds to ensure a dignified cremation for their honey animals.

The 69-year one-time as well as hence perpetrated what government described equally a peculiarly nasty fraud, failing to deliver the service.

Cooper was sentenced inwards Gloucester Crown Court on Friday. He received an eight-month sentence, suspended for ii years alongside a three-month curfew from 8am to 8pm.

In addition, he was ordered to pay £53,295, which included a £16,000 fine, sum Trading Standards costs as well as compensation to 26 victims.

Cooper, of West Lydbrook, inwards Somerton, Somerset, as well as previously trading equally John Cooper Livestock Services, was prosecuted inwards Feb 2011 equally a consequence of inquiries yesteryear Gloucestershire County Council Trading Standards.

These flora that Cooper was charging owners the sum toll of an private brute cremation as well as and hence failing to deliver the service.

Cooper, a Equus caballus slaughterer, was flora to lead maintain charged Bushy Equine Vets inwards Breadstone £920 to individually cremate horses. At that time, he was also invited to discover other related offences, simply declined to produce so.

Publicity surrounding this representative led to iii farther complaints from customers inwards Gloucestershire beingness received yesteryear Trading Standards. These were for private cremations undertaken earlier 2008 for £552.25 each.

These matters had non been taken into consideration at the fourth dimension of the commencement case, hence Trading Standards investigated the complaints.

On Oct 1 this year, inwards Cheltenham Magistrates Court, Cooper admitted 4 farther counts of fraud relating to horses that had been taken for private cremation, alongside 22 other charges to move taken into consideration.

Cooper retired from the concern inwards 2011 afterward the commencement case.

The caput of Gloucestershire County Council Trading Standards, Eddie Coventry, said: “Mr Cooper’s practices took wages of vulnerable people at a fourth dimension of loss as well as grieving for fiscal gain.

“He had an chance to develop the tape direct at the fourth dimension of the commencement hearing simply chose non to.

“We felt this was a peculiarly nasty fraud which was appropriate for us to revisit when novel information came to light.”

Councillor Will Windsor-Clive, Cabinet Member for Communities, said: “Protecting the vulnerable as well as reducing criminal activeness is the cardinal priority for our Trading Standards team.

“This type of fraud is hugely upsetting for victims as well as the complaints nosotros have are of import inwards helping officers to position the people involved as well as acquire to a greater extent than nigh how as well as where they are operating.”

 

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