The penguin thief facing p-p-p-prison

Former zookeeper admits stealing birds worth £25,000

AN ex-zookeeper broke into his former workplace and stole £25,000 worth of exotic birds, including two penguins, a court heard.

Bradley Tomes, 25, cut a hole in the side of an aviary late at night before escaping with 12 spoonbills. The former birdkeeper returned three months later to grab two Humboldt penguins and three macaws.

He was caught after selling the penguins – named Pablo and Penny – on Facebook to an animal collector who discovered they were stolen via their microchips, South Cumbria Magistrates’ Court was told.

Tomes admitted theft and faces up to five years in jail after magistrates sent his case to be dealt with by a crown court judge, who has greater sentencing powers.

The court heard how Tomes twice broke into South Lakes Safari Zoo in Cumbria, which is home to more than 1,000 rare and endangered animals. He took the 12 distinctivelooking spoonbills worth £19,400 in July 2018 and returned in October for the penguins and macaws valued at £6,000.

Prosecutor Lee Dacre said Tomes was identified early on as a suspect but police did not have enough evidence to prosecute until the penguins were sold on social media.

Mr Dacre said: ‘On July 22, staff saw a hole had been cut in the perimeter fence of the aviary and exotic birds had been extracted, valued at around £20,000. Their suspicions fell on the defendant. He had worked there previously as a birdkeeper and had previously asked if he could buy some of the animals.’

The police breakthrough came in

Safe at home: Pablo and Penny January last year when Reece Oliver, who bought the penguins on social media, contacted a vet because they were in bad health.

Mr Dacre said: ‘Staff from the zoo travelled to the collector’s address and tags on the birds confirmed they were stolen. Staff were able to pick up the penguins.’

The court heard that in July last year, Tomes was convicted of animal neglect and sentenced to 20 weeks in prison, suspended for a year. He is due to be sentenced for the zoo thefts at Preston Crown Court on October 16.

Mr Oliver, 29, who keeps exotic animals, said he found out the penguins were stolen when he checked their microchips on a database.

He said: ‘He seemed suspicious but you have to take people as they come. They were a little bit ill so I called the vet. Penguins are very specialised and they can easily die in the wrong hands.

‘The zoo came to me and it all worked quite well in the end.’