Couple who sold rare animal parts escape jail

A couple who illegally traded in dead endangered species over the Internet escaped jail terms yesterday.

Graham and Norah Pitchforth ran a legitimate business called Get The Bug, on the auction site e-Bay, selling specimens of animals they had imported or acquired.

They each pleaded guilty earlier this year to 24 charges relating to the importing, exporting, selling and possession of endangered species after failing to get necessary documentation.

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Animal specimens included in the charges included a stuffed lion cub and birds of prey, monkey skulls, flying fox skulls, butterflies, snake skulls and the skin and skull of a penguin. Many were classed as some of the most critically endangered species in the world.

At Leeds Crown Court today, the pair, from Wakefield, West Yorkshire, were sentenced to 44 weeks imprisonment, suspended for 18 months. They were also ordered to carry out 200 hours of unpaid work.

The court was told the couple, of Southfield Close, Wrenthorpe, Wakefield, had run a pet shop for 20 years and were "extremely well thought of" in the local community.

Graham Pitchforth, 61, had an interest in collecting specimens and taxidermy and had a part-time job lecturing students at Wakefield College about endangered animals.

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The pair set up the eBay shop and sold 3,637 animal specimens, of which 22 were found to have been traded illegally between October 2005 and December 2006, making a profit of 2,329.16.

The couple failed to get the relevant permits for the importation, exportation or sale of these 22 transactions, despite knowing they were needed.

Judge Christopher Batty said Norah Pitchforth, 65, received a police caution in July 2005 for offering a barn owl for sale without the appropriate permit.

Some transactions were arranged by e-mail, which the couple sometimes asked to be destroyed following the sale.

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The pair admitted 12 counts of illegally exporting, three of illegally importing, seven of illegally selling and two of illegally possessing specimens under the Customs and Excise Management Act.

The species involved in the charges included sparrowhawk, little owl, tawny owl, buzzard, spotted eagle owl, pale chanting goshawk, baboon, European porcupine, crab-eating macaque monkey, pig-tailed macaque monkey, scarlet ibis, chacma baboon, python, barn owl, African penguin, Yemen chameleon, yellow-billed kite, African lion cub and otter.