RSS Feed
February 18th, 2012 
FAKE NEWS for the Zionist agenda - Sam Edwards, 18, jailed for selling two of the nine stolen animals
By
Charles Walford
Last updated at 10:08 PM on 17th February 2012
A pig breeder spoke today of her sadness after a litter of her prized micro-piglets were stolen in a midnight raid.
Mother-of-three Amanda Osborne-Taylor
told how she has
been put off breeding the pint-sized animals when nine six-week-olds,
worth around £700 each, were taken after she had advertised them for
sale.
The 39-year-old cabin crew member now only
keeps three female pigs and has no plans to breed them as the family try to put
the theft behind them.
‘It was just horrible telling my
youngest, Gracie, who was just four at the time and had named most of them –
she was devastated.
Victim: Amanda Osborne-Taylor, 39, at her home in Capel near Dorking, Surrey, with three other micro-pigs. Sam Edwards has been jailed for 28 months after selling some of the animals after they were stolen
‘She had called them after all her
favourite Disney characters.’
Her comments came as a teenager was today jailed for selling some of the pigs days after they were stolen.
Sam Edwards, 18, who admitted handling stolen goods, was jailed for 28 months.
Today, she told how she is
still mystified that nobody heard the raid on the small barn just yards from
the family home where her pilot husband Jon and children were
sleeping.
‘I would, to this day, love to know
how they did it [steal the piglets],’ she said.
‘They can run really fast
especially when they are scared and they squeal extremely loudly – yet nobody
heard a thing.
Stolen: Two of the nine pigs that were taken. The breed has become fashionable for those wanting an unusual pet
‘My husband and the kids were in the
house and they didn’t hear anything and neither did the neighbours.
‘What annoys me most is that it must
have been pre-planned and they knew exactly what they were doing that night.
‘It is just a horrible thought that
they were so close to my home.’
Amanda received a call from a young woman
the day before the theft in March last year inquiring about buying a micro-pig
and invited the caller to come and visit.
‘There were five of them and they
were all quite young,’ she said.
‘A couple of them hardly said a word
the whole time they were here and one of the boys did the majority of the
talking.
‘Maybe I was a little naive in
hindsight but I never thought that anybody would steal nine piglets inside a
stable.
‘When they were taken I knew that it
had to be somebody who knew that we had them here and had seen them, you
wouldn’t have just stumbled across them.’
Amanda told how the group left saying they
really loved one piglet in particular – the only all pink one of the litter –
and promised to return.
It was only after completing the school
run the following day that she realised something was very wrong.
‘The stable was all open,’ she
said recalling the horror.
‘I just couldn’t believe what I was
seeing and then I realised that somebody had stolen the piglets and taken them
in the cage we had used to vaccinate them just the day before.
‘When I walked into the door, some of
the adult pigs came up to greet me and they were in a terrible state.
‘A few of them already had been sold
and were due to be going to new homes at petting farms, it was just awful.
‘One or two of the prettier pigs, if
there is such a thing, we had planned to keep for ourselves. Gracie had really
fallen in love with two spotty ones.
Breeder: Micro-piglets bred by Amanda Osborne-Taylor were stolen from her home near Dorking, in Surrey, and found their way into the hands of Sam Edwards
‘It completely put us off any future
breeding which is a real shame.
‘It wasn’t a business, just more of a
hobby. The micro pigs were the children’s pets and this was the first litter. It
should have been an exciting time but it was ruined.’
Within days of the theft, Edwards’ neighbours called the police after they saw him selling piglets from a shed at the bottom of his garden in Shepperton, Surrey.
By the time officers got there, he had sold all but two of the pint-sized animals.
The 18-year-old told police he had bought the pair ‘from a traveller called John for between £250 and £300 each.
Detectives have never tracked down the remaining seven – four black piglets, two pink and black spotted piglets, and a pink one.
Edwards was sentenced for three further unrelated offences of aggravated vehicle taking, criminal damage and burglary.
Micro-pigs have become sought-after pets after it was revealed that celebrities such as the Beckhams and Paris Hilton have them. One also features on hit TV docu-soap The Only Way is Essex.
Micro-pigs have become sought-after pets after it was revealed that celebrities such as the Beckhams and Paris Hilton have them
Ms Osborne-Taylor had been breeding the micro-piglets for two years from her home when the animals were taken overnight between March 27 and 28 last year, the court heard.
Gill Beale, prosecuting, told Guildford Crown Court how a group of people had phoned and visited the mother-of-three with a view to buying one of the piglets just the day before.
The group were described as being underprepared and were not aware of the required documentation needed to keep a piglet.
Mrs Beale said: ‘Neighbours living next door to the defendant called police on March 30 after noticing that Mr Edwards was selling pigs from the shed of his home.
‘Lots of people were seen coming and going carrying pigs of various colours.
‘When police went to his property, two stolen pigs were found there in his shed at the rear of the garden.
‘He was arrested and interviewed and asked how he came by the pigs.
‘He
said to officers that he brought them legitimately from a travellers’
site and paid between £250 and £300 each for the two pigs.
‘He agreed that he was aware that they were advertised on the internet for up to £700.’
Edwards told police that he had brought the two pigs off a traveller called John and they were a present for his girlfriend. He denied all knowledge of the theft.
‘My three children were devastated when the piglets were stolen,’ said the 39-year-old Mrs Osborne-Taylor at the time.
‘Breeding micro-piglets is a hobby for all the family, they are our pets and grow up with the children.
‘After two of the piglets had been found by Surrey Police, my four-year-old daughter read a story to them and they fell asleep in the cage.’
At an earlier hearing at Guildford Crown Court, Edwards had admitted handling stolen goods in relation to the piglets.
Peter Marshall, defending, handed the judge a handwritten note from the defendant, in which he admitted remorse for his crimes.
The judge was told that Edwards fell into the wrong crowd after his mother died of cancer when he was just 11 years of age and shortly after his father suffered a brain haemorrhage.
Edwards admitted handling stolen goods in relation to the piglets in a hearing at Guildford Crown Court
The court was told he had a catalogue
of previous convictions dating back to 2008 for thefts, motoring
offences and handling stolen goods.
‘This is undoubtedly a very intelligent young man with a troubled and difficult background,’ said Mr Marshall.
‘He recognises where he is now and that is not a place where he wants to remain.’
Edwards, who appeared in court wearing a blue T-shirt and grey tracksuit bottoms, showed no emotion as Recorder Alexia Durran outlined the offences he had admitted.
She said: ‘Theft of livestock is a prevalent offence that is feared by the rural community, although I accept that this is not a theft but handling stolen goods.
‘You clearly did not have the skills or knowledge of animal husbandry to look after those pigs.
‘I am told that you are an intelligent young man and it is a shame that you did not use that intelligence in a more constructive way.’
Edwards was jailed for a total of 28 months.
He was handed a four-month term of imprisonment for handling stolen goods, 12 months for aggravated vehicle taking, and a further 12 months for burglary all to be served consecutively.
He was given a separate one-month sentence for criminal damage, to be served concurrently.
Edwards waved to his family as he was taken to the cells to start his sentence.
Share this article:
Here’s what other readers have said. Why not add your thoughts,
or debate this issue live on our message boards.
The comments below have been moderated in advance.
-
Newest -
Oldest -
Best rated -
Worst rated
They were taken after they were advertised for sale, so I assume they were going to have to tell Gracie pretty soon why they weren’t there. If it’s that upsetting to be parted from them and it’s a hobby why advertise them for sale.
Report abuse
No doubt the people who bought these piglets will be in trouble for not having the right paperwork when they eventually need to go to the vets.
Report abuse
That is terrible!
Report abuse
red arrows coming but don’t care, though it’s awful those beautiful piglets being stolen why breed them in the first place? Yes, they are cute just like the miniature dogs which are bred, they are then sold as a novelty/assessory but people soon get fed up with them as any animal rescue will tell you.
Report abuse
The scum that stole the was also convicted of aggravated vehicle takingM criminal damage an burglary. But he got only 28 months so he’ll serve one year in prison. But hes remorseful so thats alright then. Pathetic British justice strikes again.
Report abuse
‘It was just horrible telling my youngest, Gracie, who was just four at the time and had named most of them – she was devastated.” Said Mrs Osborne-Taylor. However, it would seem she would not have being as sympathetic to her daughter who had named and bonded with them when she advertised them for sale at £700 each.
Report abuse
You tell ’em paevo!
Report abuse
And if you believe his story, the moon must be made of green cheese !!!
Just another judge taken in by a criminal, who should have got at least 5 years…
Report abuse
Oh my god they are SO cute
Report abuse
These pigs where not pets if they where advertised for sale the 4yearold would probably of been equal devastated I see no reason to tell a four year old about the theft either.
Report abuse
The views expressed in the contents above are those of our users and do not necessarily reflect the views of MailOnline.
Related posts:
Views: 0
Posted in 
Tags: 
