A mum-of-four filmed trying to flush her pet monkey down the toilet and offering it cocaine has walked free from court.
Vicki Holland, 38, recorded herself abusing the tiny marmoset, which was fed kebabs, burgers, and sausages.
One showed the monkey in a ‘very distressed state’ cowering in a toilet bowl as Holland gently pressed the flusher, causing spurts of water to drop down on the petrified primate.
Holland, from Newport, pleaded guilty to three Animal Welfare Act offences on November 18 and was sentenced at Newport Magistrates’ Court on 10 December.
She was banned from keeping any animals for life, but her 12-week prison sentence was suspended for 12 months.
Holland was similarly spared jail over the drugs offences, having been given a 20-month suspended sentence back in November last year.
The RSPCA only became aware of her cruel mistreatment when police raiding her home looking for drugs seized her phone and found the appalling videos.
One clip showed her laughing as the marmoset clawed at the sides of the toilet bowl while sitting in the water at the bottom.
She can be seen throwing toilet paper at it and calling the animal an ‘idiot’ before pressing down on the flusher as the terrified money desperately tries to stay above water.
In another clip, she is seen holding out some cocaine, saying: ‘Want some coke? Lick my fingers.’
Prosecutor Aled Watkins said Holland had ‘shown total disregard to the basic care and needs’ of her pet.
He told the magistrates: ‘This is deliberate infliction, this isn’t neglect.’
Scott Bowen, defending, said Holland was ‘deeply embarrassed and deeply ashamed of her behaviour’.
He told the court the monkey had experienced ‘distress’ but there was ‘no long-term damage’ to the animal, which was handed over to the RSPCA during the investigation.
The marmoset was later transferred to specialist primate experts at ‘Monkey World’ in Dorset for ongoing and appropriate care.
Holland must also pay £420 in costs and a £128 victim surcharge.
Speaking after sentencing, RSPCA inspector and exotics officer Sophie Daniels said: ‘I was immediately and gravely concerned about the welfare of this marmoset when I saw these disturbing videos.
‘Videos from the defendant’s phone showed Holland offering the marmoset cocaine, while another showed the clearly terrified marmoset down a toilet bowl.
‘Holland was shouting, swearing, laughing and at one point in the clip, the toilet is flushed, showing the petrified animal struggling to cling onto the side of the bowl.
‘An independent vet soon confirmed that the marmoset was suffering unnecessarily as a result of the way she had been treated.
‘We’d like to thank Gwent Police for their assistance in this case, along with Monkey World who have provided a forever home for the marmoset. Thankfully, this monkey is now getting the care they deserve after such shocking mistreatment.’
The RSPCA say marmosets are by far the most common primates being kept as pets.
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However, the RSPCA is ‘totally opposed’ to the keeping of any primate as a pet, because it is so hard to meet their complex needs in a domestic environment.
After the case RSPCA senior scientific manager Dr Ros Clubb, added: ‘Sadly our inspectors see monkeys cooped up in bird cages, fed fast food and sugary drinks, deprived of friends of their own kind and suffering from disease as a result of poor care.
‘We fear many are suffering behind closed doors because people do not know how to look after these animals properly.’
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