Airdrie & Coatbridge Advertiser
PUPPY DEALER’S BAN FOR CRUELTY
Avoids jail despite appalling treatment of dogs
A Plains millionaire who kept dozens of dogs in dreadful conditions before selling them illegally has avoided a jail sentence.
Cruel Christopher Gorman, 54, bought puppies from Lithuania and England before selling them on to unsuspecting buyers.
He was caught after complaints about the condition of the animals triggered a Scottish SPCA raid on his Killearn Crescent home.
Officers found dozens of puppies and dogs with open wounds living in their own faeces and suffering from health problems such as vomiting, diarrhoea and cherry eye.
One dog was so ill vets had to put it down almost immediately.
Welfare officers made repeated visits to Gorman’s home and removed dogs from the premises but the court heard how he continued to buy and sell of his own accord.
He appeared at Airdrie Sheriff Court on May 31 and was found guilty of causing unnecessary suffering to 45 dogs, trading without a licence, exposing the same animals to unsatisfactory conditions and failing to provide necessary nutrition for them.
Gorman was fined £ 500 and banned from keeping animals for 10 years for his actions. He was also tagged and is now forbidden from leaving his home between 7pm and 7am for the next six months.
The businessman, who owns a raft of properties valued at a total of £1.2m, denied 11 charges of failing to properly care for the animals, mainly French bulldogs, between June 2015 and January 2016.
Despite his denial, those dogs will be the last to live under his roof until at least 2027, after Sheriff Derek O’Carroll ruled Gorman is “an unsuitable person to look after any animal whatsoever.”
Defence advocate Lewis Kennedy said in mitigation: “His marriage broke down in 2015 and relations were still strained on his wife’s return in January 2016.
“That distraction led to a loss of focus from Mr Gorman.
“This was not callous behaviour but may be categorised as reckless conduct by someone who ended up well out of his depth.
“He is able to pay a significant monetary penalty and a fine is a realistic sentence given the economic background of his extensive property portfolio.”
Comment i n g on the investigation, an undercover Scottish SPCA officer said: “Gorman has clearly shown he has no remorse for what he’s done. He did not have a licence to sell dogs but continued to do so over a long period of time.
“The conditions were not appropriate for the number of dogs being kept and bred, and posed serious hygiene concerns, specifically the ability to disinfect and prevent the spread of infection and disease.
“There were faeces all over the yard and inside the house and this would have increased the risk of spread of disease, worms and infection.
“It’s clear from his disregard that his priority was money-making, not the welfare of the dogs in his care.”
Sentencing Gorman, Sheriff O’Carroll told him: “You acquired a large number of dogs and puppies This dog had cherry eye and used your home and garden to keep these dogs in an entirely unsuitable and unhygienic environment.
“You persisted in keeping them in such conditions ignoring expert advice from the SSPCA and a vet.
“You are poorly qualified to give treatment to the dogs and as a result many were caused unnecessary suffering.
“Throughout these lengthy proceedings you have denied any wrongdoing and responsibility despite expert evidence to the contrary.
“You blamed everybody but yourself for the conditions of the dogs and the puppies.”
Gorman faces a proceeds of crime probe by prosecutors.