Marmoset ban for Gateshead couple (From The Northern Echo)

Marmoset ban for Gateshead couple

9:32pm Monday 13th February 2012 in News

A COUPLE have been given a three-year ban from keeping animals after they kept a pet marmoset in the front room of their terraced house, the RSPCA said.

Duncan Johnston, 27, and Patricia Wilson, 30, treated 18-month-old Marley as a member of the family and the animal charity admitted in court that the monkey was not mistreated.

But Gateshead magistrates heard that the animal was kept in a parrot's cage in the couple's front room, along with their two dogs and that Marley was not kept in the correct environment.

They pleaded guilty to three offences under the Animal Welfare Act and were banned from keeping any animals apart from dogs for three years and ordered to pay £100 costs each.

RSPCA chief inspector Michelle Charlton said afterwards: "This marmoset was lucky in many ways, although his needs weren't being met he didn't come to any physical harm in the care of Johnston and Wilson.

"It isn't necessary to have a special licence to keep a marmoset but they are extremely difficult to look after correctly and shouldn't be owned by anyone who isn't expert in their needs.

"Marley is now in the kind of environment he requires, surrounded by his own kind."

Speaking after the court case, Wilson, of Rawling Road, Low Fell, Gateshead, said she bought Marley from someone she knew on Facebook for £900.

She said: "Marley and I bonded straight away and I loved him."

Her father Gary Murphy, who lives opposite and helped look after the pet, said: "It was just like having a new baby in the family. He used to come over to ours and he would ride around on my dog's back."

Marmosets are found in South America in the wild and live in family groups of up to 15.