Man who harboured stolen parrot avoids prison

Sentence: Darren McPeake A MAN who admitted dishonestly receiving a stolen parrot called Barney, which he was keeping in a “quasi-Noah’s Ark” in a Co Antrim housing estate, has avoided being caged himself.

Darren McPeake (32), an unemployed father-of-three from Lanntara in Ballymena, appeared at the town’s magistrates court yesterday and was given a sixmonth jail term, suspended for two years.

He had previously pleaded guilty to a charge of dishonestly receiving stolen goods which included the parrot, six tortoises, five birds, a python and a chameleon in December last year.

The court heard no one has been made amenable for the break-in at Ladysmith Pet Supplies. A prosecutor said animals worth over £2,100 were stolen in the raid along with £100 in cash.

When the animals, including African Grey parrot Barney, were recovered at McPeake’s home, he was also in possession of cannabis and Diazepam.

The prosecutor said he indicated during a police interview that he was not involved in the actual break-in but instead he was asked to “keep the animals” for others.

Defence barrister Stephen Law told the court: “It was somewhat strange that there was a quasi-Noah’s Ark in Lanntara.”

Mr Law said the defendant had been approached and he had offered to keep the animals.

However the barrister added: “He wasn’t very good at keeping them. I think five flew away.”

Mr Law said McPeake got himself involved in something he was not very competent in as the animals needed “watered and fed”.

Mr Law said at the time the defendant was misusing cannabis and Diazepam and said that may have been why he was “harbouring” the animals. Added the lawyer: “He may have been utilised by others who ultimately had a plan to store these animals and move them on.”

Mr Law added: “Animal lovers were outraged at this offending but he was the public face of it rather than others who inflicted damage at the store.”

The court heard McPeake had 62 previous convictions but the defendant claimed three of those were a “misprint”.

District Judge Peter King said the custody threshold had been well and truly crossed and he added: “The only reason you are not going to prison is because you had a secondary role in this escapade”.

The judge said if McPeake had been directly involved in the break-in he would have been jailed.

Outside court, McPeake was asked if he had a message for the public and he said he was “sorry” and that he “should never have got involved”.