Ann Marie Gregory received a remarkable result at Preston Magistrates Court, where she managed to overturn what was to be a life time back for a lady who the RSPCA described as, “one of the worst cases of animal cruelty they had ever come across”.
The case involved over 247 dogs being kept in one house. Whilst the DJ agrees that this was a case of serious magnitude, he, 6 years on, accepted that the defendant had shown extreme remorse and that based on the evidence, she had overcome what was a prolonged grief disorder following the loss of her son. It was the district Judge’s view that all of the evidence pointed to the fact that this lady recognised the reasons that led to her being in the position she found herself in in 2005, was extremely remorseful and had moved on in her life with the assistance of professional help.
Ann Marie had supported this lady for 6 years and is delighted that the court finally recognised that the causes of her animal hoarding was borne out of grief and not malicious intent or any intent to cause suffering to the animal. The defendant had a mental illness which she overcame, and which the court accepted that she had overcome.
It is to Ann Marie’s credit that she never gives up on a client and fights hard to see that justice is finally achieved.
