🚨 A Newport man who posed as a “premier” dog breeder has been handed a suspended sentence after running an illegal breeding operation that earned him £90,000.
Leighton Burrows, 35, operated ‘Buzzbullz’ from his home in Ringland, creating a professional-looking website with unauthorised Kennel Club and Defra logos to deceive potential customers.
“The website was extremely professional. You presented yourself as a premier provider,” stated Judge Shomon Khan. “Consumers would have been duped by it, pure and simple.”
The court heard Burrows was breeding dogs without a licence, with a vet’s report indicating he “put profit before animal welfare”. Despite the scale of the fraud, no victims came forward during the Newport trading standards investigation.
Nicholas Gedge, defending, said: “He expressed his apologies for what has happened and expresses, through me, remorse. He loves dogs and looks after them well.”
Burrows received a two-year suspended sentence, must complete 200 hours of unpaid work, and is banned from holding a dog breeding licence for 10 years. A proceeds of crime hearing is scheduled for May 26.
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