Thursday 12 May 2011

This is Why We Can’t Have Nice Things…

A pony stolen from a paddock in Barrowford just weeks after it had given birth to a foal was tracked down by its owner and brought home.

But as former horse groomer Michele Jones celebrated the returned of her beloved Shetland pony, Lilly, the thieves returned and stole her five-month-old foal, Dinky.
Well, at least the police will have brought the thieves to justice, won’t they?

Oh.
Both ponies were snatched from Bronteu Stables, iPark Avenue, Barrowford and recovered days later with help from the police.
‘With help from’..? What does that mean?
Michele, 49, of West Street, Nelson said she has been left so traumatised by the thefts she decided to give up the ponies because she felt she could no longer keep them safe.
Not seeing anyone punished for the theft can’t have helped much.
Michele who co-owned the ponies with close friend Colin Hargreaves, 70, of Burnley, believes Lilly, a nine hands Piebald Shetland pony, was stolen by someone for a wedding present for his new wife.
Didn’t they hang horse thieves in the Wild West?

I suppose it’s ‘progress’ that now means we don’t even bother to put them on trial…

7 comments:

Shinar's Basket Case said...

I will never understand the british obsession with animals nor why this 'story' made it into even a local 'Rabbit Breeders Weekly' rag.

Its a horse dear, its 14 hands of Pedigree Chum.

Mark Wadsworth said...

"iPark Avenue"?

Is this some hyper modern virtual address?

Anonymous said...

You ask what help the police gave....i would imagine it was accompanying the woman to get her animal back without her being assaulted and kicked off the site without recovering it.

Someone has obviously said it was stolen as a wedding present. Is that person prepared to make a statement, attend court and give evidence to secure a conviction? I would be guessing not.

So you have a woman who has found her animal on a 'site'...how many people are on that site? Do they all get prosecuted? What 'story' have they come up with? I imagine they haven't confessed to stealing it and come up with a nice story of having found it wandering and took it into their care...or they bought it froma bloke in the pub for a fair price.

So without any evidence to prove beyond all reasonable doubt who stole it....the police did about as much as they could. Mmmmm shocking !!!!!

James Higham said...

What's going on, Julia? People getting off with cautions and people leaving bins five centimetres out of line being prosecuted.

I'd like to take one of these people, have a coffee with him/her and ask him/her to explain exactly what the thinking was.

It's intriguing.

Woman on a Raft said...

Why isn't the wealthy RSPCA intervening to have horse thieves and receivers prosecuted more strongly?

It isn't just property crime; removing an animal from its owner and family grouping causes all the animals unnecessary suffering and that, as we know, is an instant nick irrespective of intention.

Oh wait...Anon may have explained the position.

Budvar said...

"Found the horses on a site". This wouldn't be a euphemism for those paragons of virtue "Pikeys" by any chance would it?

Captain Haddock said...

I was going to ask just what sort of people steal ponies to give as wedding presents ?

But Budvar beat me to it .. ;)

Which of course neatly explains the lack of prosecutions ..