The former owner of a zoo in Champétières, near Ambert (Puy-de-Dôme), was sentenced for mistreatment of his animals to 18 months suspended imprisonment and ban on keeping animals, by the court Correctional Service of Clermont-Ferrand.
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Originally from Belgium, Alain Albrecht was sentenced for "
ill treatment, irregular exploitation and trafficking of protected animals
" to 18 months of imprisonment with a probationary suspension of 2 years and to confiscation of the animals, indicated Me Patrice Grillon, lawyer of the Stéphane Lamart association for the protection of animals, civil party.
The judgment, handed down on November 4, also condemns him to a final ban on keeping animals and any activity related to keeping animals for five years.
"
Five years is the maximum provided by law, he will not be able to work in zoos during this time, but it goes quickly,
" said Mr. Grillon.
"A man overwhelmed by the situation"
The prosecutor had requested eighteen months in prison, two of which were firm. As well as the revocation of a previous six-month suspended sentence. The defendant was released for other offenses, including “
illegal importation of animals
”. “
It is a decision well below the requisitions which, as such, is satisfactory. The court recognized that my client was not an international animal trafficker and torturer but a man overwhelmed by the situation,
”said his lawyer Me Renaud Portejoie. “
The definitive ban on keeping animals is the most important thing for us,
” noted Stéphane Lamart, president of the eponymous association, which obtained 1000 euros in damages.
According to him, several animals had died for lack of care and food under the direction of the owner whose actions had been denounced by employees.
The facts took place between 2012 and March 2015 when Alain Albrecht had been indicted and imprisoned, in particular for "
trafficking in animals in an organized group
".
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In deficit of some 200,000 euros, the zoo nestled in the Monts du Forez, which it had taken over in 2011, had been placed in compulsory liquidation at the beginning of April 2015. A spectacular operation organized and financed by the 30 Millions d'Amis Foundation had made it possible evacuate 160 endangered animals on the scene.
The man had already been sentenced in 2012 in particular for "
voluntary destruction of an animal
" to six months suspended prison sentence and a ban on exercising any activity in contact with animals for one year.
