Guest guest Posted June 18, 2008 Report Share Posted June 18, 2008 " Cullen, Colleen " <ccullen " Argent, Rosa " <rargent; " Gent, Amanda " <agent; " Knap, Kirsten " <kknap; " Elephant Network DL " <elephantglobal 6/18/2008 10:33 AM FW: [sSN-list] ART: More on UK Ivory Seizure ssn-list-bounces [ssn-list-bounces] On Behalf Of Ann Michels Wednesday, June 18, 2008 7:38 AM SSN List [sSN-list] ART: More on UK Ivory Seizure DO NOT POST SENSITIVE MESSAGES TO THE LIST. ONLY NEWS ARTICLES MAY BE FORWARDED TO NON-SSN MEMBERS. OTHER MESSAGES MAY NOT BE FORWARDED. WHEN FORWARDING NEWS ARTICLES PLEASE REMOVE THE SSN LISTSERVE HEADER AND FOOTER _____________ Kent man caught with 24 elephant tusks June 2008. 56-year-old Michael Francis Elliott of Gravesend has been found guilty and given a two year suspended sentence on charges of illegally trading in elephant ivory, hippopotamus ivory and sperm whale teeth. This follows a lengthy investigation by the Met's Wildlife Crime Unit that led police to enquiries in China, Latvia and the United States. Guilty plea Elliott appeared at Southwark Crown Court where he had earlier pleaded guilty to seven offences relating to the trade in ivory. Four further charges were ordered to lie on file. 24 elephant tusks recovered This case originally came to police attention when a warrant was executed at Michael Elliott's home in January 2005 during which 24 elephant tusks were recovered. A further warrant was executed in March 2005 at the same address, this time leading to a haul of carved hippo ivory figures, elephant ivory and sperm whale teeth. Light sentence? Michael Elliott was charged with ten offences charged contrary to regulation 8(1) and (8) the Control of Trade in Endangered Species (Enforcement) Regulations 1997 as amended and one offence against the Customs & Excise Management Act 1979. The maximum penalty under the Control of Trade in Endangered Species (Enforcement) Regulations 1997 is 5 years imprisonment, a fine of £5,000, or both. The maximum penalty under the Customs & Excise Management Act 1979 is 7 years imprisonment or an unlimited fine. Given the nature of the crime, and burgeoning wildlife crime that is destroying much of the world's wildlife and habitats, Wildlife Extra questions why this Mr Elliott was given such a light sentence. While the UK demands that countires give up whaling, and makes loud noises about wildlife crime around the world, this is no kind of message to be sending out to those involved in serious wildlife crime. Endangered species trade Michael Elliot was arrested and later charged with offences contrary to the Control of Trade in Endangered Species (Enforcement) Regulations 1997. These relate to the selling and keeping for sale hippo, elephant and sperm whale items. On three of the charges Mr Elliot was sentenced to 8 months imprisonment on each charge to run consecutively, a total of two years imprisonment, suspended for two years. On the remaining four charges he was sentenced to 8 months imprisonment on each, to run concurrently, suspended for two years. Prosecution costs of £1480 were awarded against him and all of the ivory was subject to forfeiture. In sentencing Mr Elliot, His Honour Judge Gledhill QC commented that man had since time immemorial collected art made from parts of species and that " the effect of that human activity has been to cause extinction and in other cases pushed species to the verge of extinction. Met's Wildlife Crime Unit Detective Constable David Flint of the Met's Wildlife Crime Unit said, " This case has shown that there is still a high demand for ivory and ivory products. This demand outstrips the ivory available lawfully and encourages poachers in the range states to kill endangered species. This is to the detriment of us all and threatens the species' very survival. It also destroys people's livelihoods and helps to fund organised crime, insurgencies and terrorism. " Some of the ivory seized from Mr Elliott. Credit David Flint Two officers from the Met's Wildlife Crime Unit were commended by the judge when he described the unit as extremely valuable and a credit to the Metropolitan Police. The Wildlife Crime Unit would like to acknowledge the hard work put in by John Elliott for the CPS and Prosecuting Counsel Rosa Dean. They were both involved in this case from early on, providing advice and guidance on the investigation and ultimately bringing it to a successful conclusion before the courts. This case is the latest under Operation Charm, an ongoing partnership initiative against the illegal trade in endangered species in London. http://www.wildlifeextra.com/go/news/ivory-trade656.html -- Ann Michels Species Survival Network annmichels www.ssn.org _____________ Species Survival Network Discussion List Post a message: ssn-list Access your Member Account: http://servidor.confoto.cl/mailman/listinfo/ssn-list Working within CITES for the Protection and Conservation of Species in International Trade ------------------------ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted June 19, 2008 Report Share Posted June 19, 2008 >Elliott was given such a light sentence< Would it be possible to have the full text of the proceedings of Elliot`s case and the judgment and how easy/ difficult it was for this person to get the light verdict? It is important to analyze and understand the loop holes that exist in the judiciary in the UK and elsewhere so that in future the advocates of animal rights and enforcement agencies do not lose out. Azam aapn , " Gabriel, Grace " <ggabriel wrote: > > > > > " Cullen, Colleen " <ccullen > " Argent, Rosa " <rargent; " Gent, Amanda " <agent; " Knap, Kirsten " <kknap; " Elephant Network DL " <elephantglobal > 6/18/2008 10:33 AM > FW: [sSN-list] ART: More on UK Ivory Seizure > > > > > ssn-list-bounces [ssn-list-bounces] On Behalf Of Ann Michels > Wednesday, June 18, 2008 7:38 AM > SSN List > [sSN-list] ART: More on UK Ivory Seizure > > DO NOT POST SENSITIVE MESSAGES TO THE LIST. ONLY NEWS ARTICLES MAY BE FORWARDED TO NON-SSN MEMBERS. OTHER MESSAGES MAY NOT BE FORWARDED. WHEN FORWARDING NEWS ARTICLES PLEASE REMOVE THE SSN LISTSERVE HEADER AND FOOTER _____________ > Kent man caught with 24 elephant tusks > > June 2008. 56-year-old Michael Francis Elliott of Gravesend has been found guilty and given a two year suspended sentence on charges of illegally trading in elephant ivory, hippopotamus ivory and sperm whale teeth. This follows a lengthy investigation by the Met's Wildlife Crime Unit that led police to enquiries in China, Latvia and the United States. > > Guilty plea > Elliott appeared at Southwark Crown Court where he had earlier pleaded guilty to seven offences relating to the trade in ivory. Four further charges were ordered to lie on file. > > 24 elephant tusks recovered > This case originally came to police attention when a warrant was executed at Michael Elliott's home in January 2005 during which 24 elephant tusks were recovered. A further warrant was executed in March > 2005 at the same address, this time leading to a haul of carved hippo ivory figures, elephant ivory and sperm whale teeth. > Light sentence? > Michael Elliott was charged with ten offences charged contrary to regulation 8(1) and (8) the Control of Trade in Endangered Species > (Enforcement) Regulations 1997 as amended and one offence against the Customs & Excise Management Act 1979. The maximum penalty under the Control of Trade in Endangered Species (Enforcement) Regulations 1997 is > 5 years imprisonment, a fine of £5,000, or both. The maximum penalty under the Customs & Excise Management Act 1979 is 7 years imprisonment or an unlimited fine. > > Given the nature of the crime, and burgeoning wildlife crime that is destroying much of the world's wildlife and habitats, Wildlife Extra questions why this Mr Elliott was given such a light sentence. While the UK demands that countires give up whaling, and makes loud noises about wildlife crime around the world, this is no kind of message to be sending out to those involved in serious wildlife crime. > > > Endangered species trade > Michael Elliot was arrested and later charged with offences contrary to the Control of Trade in Endangered Species (Enforcement) Regulations 1997. These relate to the selling and keeping for sale hippo, elephant and sperm whale items. On three of the charges Mr Elliot was sentenced to 8 months imprisonment on each charge to run consecutively, a total of two years imprisonment, suspended for two years. On the remaining four charges he was sentenced to 8 months imprisonment on each, to run concurrently, suspended for two years. > > Prosecution costs of £1480 were awarded against him and all of the ivory was subject to forfeiture. > > In sentencing Mr Elliot, His Honour Judge Gledhill QC commented that man had since time immemorial collected art made from parts of species and that " the effect of that human activity has been to cause extinction and in other cases pushed species to the verge of extinction. > > Met's Wildlife Crime Unit > Detective Constable David Flint of the Met's Wildlife Crime Unit said, " This case has shown that there is still a high demand for ivory and ivory products. This demand outstrips the ivory available lawfully and encourages poachers in the range states to kill endangered species. This is to the detriment of us all and threatens the species' very survival. > It also destroys people's livelihoods and helps to fund organised crime, insurgencies and terrorism. " > Some of the ivory seized from Mr Elliott. Credit David Flint > > Two officers from the Met's Wildlife Crime Unit were commended by the judge when he described the unit as extremely valuable and a credit to the Metropolitan Police. The Wildlife Crime Unit would like to acknowledge the hard work put in by John Elliott for the CPS and Prosecuting Counsel Rosa Dean. They were both involved in this case from early on, providing advice and guidance on the investigation and ultimately bringing it to a successful conclusion before the courts. > > This case is the latest under Operation Charm, an ongoing partnership initiative against the illegal trade in endangered species in London. > > http://www.wildlifeextra.com/go/news/ivory-trade656.html > > -- > Ann Michels > Species Survival Network > annmichels > www.ssn.org > > > _____________ > Species Survival Network Discussion List > Post a message: ssn-list > Access your Member Account: http://servidor.confoto.cl/mailman/listinfo/ssn-list > Working within CITES for the Protection and Conservation of Species in International Trade > ------------------------ > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You are posting as a guest. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.
Note: Your post will require moderator approval before it will be visible.