Britain Sux: Great granny gets 1 year jail for selling goldfish in pet store by piratenews

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Britain Sux: Great granny gets 1 year jail for selling goldfish in pet store

POSTED BY: PIRATENEWS
UPDATED: Wednesday, March 31, 2010 17:13
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Wednesday, March 31, 2010 5:13 PM

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Joan Higgins, a pet shop owner, was caught selling the fish to the teenager in a 'sting' operation by council officials. She was then prosecuted in an eight month court process estimated to have cost the taxpayer more than £20,000.

Under new animal welfare laws, passed in 2006, it is it illegal to sell goldfish to under 16s. Offenders can be punished with up to 12 months in prison.

Mrs Higgins, 66, who thought the boy was much older than 14, escaped jail but was instead ordered to wear an electronic tag and given a night time curfew. She was also fined £1,000 by Trafford Magistrates Court.

Her son Mark Higgins, who was also proscecuted in connection with the case, described the treatment of his mother as a "farce" and "legal lunacy". He said the punishment she had received would prevent her from attending her weekly bingo sessions as well babysitting her one month-old great grandchild.

Mr Higgins, 47, from Sale, Greater Manchester said: "I think it's a farce and legal lunacy and I told the council that.

"What gets me so cross is that they put my Mum on a tag - she's nearly 70, for goodness sake."

He added: "She's a great grandma - so she won't be able to babysit a new born baby, all because of this tag. You would think they have better things to do with their time and money."

He and his mother were caught out by a new bill passed in 2006 which makes it illegal to sell goldfish to under 16s.

In July 2009, Trafford council sent a 14 year old boy to the shop and after Mrs Higgins failed to ask the boy for identification she and her son were summoned to court.

Mr Higgins labelled the incident "entrapment", saying the boy looked older than 14: "The council sent the 14 year old into us - in my book that's entrapment.

Trafford Council said they had decided to investigate the shop, called Major Pets, in Sale, Greater Manchester following a complaint that it had sold a gerbil to a 14 year-old girl with learning difficulties, without the presence of a carer or parent.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/family/pets/7538391/Great-grandmother-given
-an-electronic-tag-and-curfew-for-selling-a-goldfish-to-a-14-year-old.html

But it's ok for Pet Shop Boys to put gerbils up their arses.

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