Exeter man admits to causing deaths of 10 rare giant tortoises
56-year-old Gary Priddle, of Grecian Way, has been given a 12-month community order
Last updated 30th May 2024
A man's admitted causing the deaths of 10 rare giant tortoises, after leaving them unattended and without heating for six days.
Investigations started in January when the first pair of tortoises were found seemingly dumped in East Devon woods around Ashclyst Forest - before more giant tortoises were found in a period stretching to early March.
Exeter Magistrates today heard Gary Priddle, 56, of Grecian Way, Exeter, had not checked on the animals for six days during one of the coldest periods of 2023 - in late December - when at the time the heating had broken.
Mr Priddle was today given a 12-month community order and must undertake 50 hours community work, as well as pay £199 in court costs and must not own or look after tortoises for a decade.
Judge Smith today told Priddle the tortoises were 'entirely dependent and reliant on you to meet your needs', adding that Priddle even described them as his 'pride and joy' and was someone who had previously rescued and nursed tortoises back to health.
Priddle was told he'd 'prioritised festive celebrations' over the care of the animals and members of the public will be 'shocked, dismayed and distressed' by what happened - but it was acknowledged Priddle had 'expressed genuine remorse and upset'.
The alarm was first raised by staff at the nearby Killerton estate, after they reported finding dead giant tortoises. After a police appeal for information, a witness - who had been to view the defendant's house with a view to buying it - told officers they suspected that was where the tortoises could be from.
Exeter Magistrates heard Mr Priddle had 'panicked' after the deaths of his animals - some which he'd spent 15 years caring for since birth - and put them in his car, before leaving them in woodland in the following days.
Mr Priddle also had a large number of other tortoises at the time, which have all now been removed from his care.
Only around 400 of the rare Aldabra tortoises are thought to live in Europe - whilst there's 400,000 pet tortoises in the UK.
The Aldabra, worth £10,000 each, is one of the only two remaining giant tortoises globally - the other is the more famous Galapagos species. The male Aldabras can live to 200, weigh a quarter of a tonne, with some having shells that reach more than a metre in length.
Mr Priddle answered charges brought under the Animal Welfare Act and Environmental Protection Act.
The charge for 'not checking on the daily welfare and heating system relating to their care which failed and led to the animals death' relates to between 23 and 29 December, 2023.
In January, 2024, the RSPCA confirmed it was 'aware of the distressing discovery of several large dead tortoises in Ashclyst Forest near Cullompton, Devon'. adding that Police were leading on the investigation.