Gary Priddle, an electrician from Exeter, Devon, was sentenced after 10 of his Aldabra tortoises froze to death due to a heating lamp failure during the Christmas period. Priddle admitted failing to meet the tortoises’ needs and dumping their remains in woodlands.
An electrician, Gary Priddle, 56, from Exeter, Devon, was sentenced after 10 of his Aldabra tortoises froze to death when a heating lamp failed. The incident occurred between December 23 and 29, 2023, when Priddle neglected to check on the reptiles during the Christmas period.
Priddle admitted to failing to meet the needs of the tortoises under the Animal Welfare Act 2006 and also pleaded guilty to dumping the remains in various woodlands, including a National Trust estate. Subsequently, Priddle received a community order requiring 50 hours of unpaid work and was banned from keeping tortoises for 10 years. He also surrendered an additional 13 adult and 40 baby tortoises to the authorities.
District Judge Stuart Smith stated that the event was a “devastating tragedy” and highlighted the specific care required for these exotic reptiles, adding that Priddle’s neglect was a stark failure of responsibility. Priddle also had to pay court costs of £85 and a £114 surcharge.
