# Rogue Horse Trader convicted



## Cuffey (25 January 2012)

http://www.yorkshirepost.co.uk/news...e_buyer_guilty_of_defrauding_owners_1_4175210

A ROGUE horse trader from Yorkshire has been given a suspended prison sentence after duping owners into handing over their ageing animals before selling them on.


Brooke Lee was convicted after an inquiry by officers from York Councils Animal Health Services who received complaints about her trading dating from 2010. 

Lee, 24, of Roebuck Lane, Otley, was given a nine-month suspended prison sentence after admitting two offences of fraud and one of unfair trading. 

She sold a horse for £1,837.50 at a livestock market knowing it was lame. The previous owners had sold it to Lee thinking it would be a companion for a filly. 

Four other owners revealed Lee  using different names  had tricked them into letting her take horses believing they would be given permanent homes. One horse was taken to Melton Mowbray, sold for £480 and slaughtered. Lee continued to lie to the previous owner, claiming the horse was still with her in a field.

York Councils trading standards manager, Matt Boxall, said: Miss Lee tricked people into giving her their horses  horses which at their stage in life, needed to take things easy. The lies she told led the owners to believe they were doing the right thing for their animals, that they would be loved and cared for forever. Instead they were simply sold on to unsuspecting customers. All of the complainants have described their devastation upon finding out their horses had been treated this way.

Lee was sentenced on Friday at York Crown Court, sitting at Harrogate Magistrates Court, and ordered to do 220 hours of unpaid work. She was also told to pay £750 in costs.


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## Dobiegirl (25 January 2012)

A mere slap on the wrist for the misery she has caused and is hardly going to have other rogue traders fearful of the knock on the door.


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## FairyLights (25 January 2012)

at least somethings being done.


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## HHnewsdesk (25 January 2012)

Has anyone on the forum been a victim of this woman? Would you be willing to talk to H&H?
Please email charlotte_white@ipcmedia.com Thanks


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## BBH (25 January 2012)

Dobiegirl said:



			A mere slap on the wrist for the misery she has caused and is hardly going to have other rogue traders fearful of the knock on the door.
		
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My thoughts exactly.


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## kirstyl (25 January 2012)

HHnewsdesk said:



			Has anyone on the forum been a victim of this woman? Would you be willing to talk to H&H?
Please email charlotte_white@ipcmedia.com Thanks
		
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I'm pretty sure she used to work at a livery yard I was at a few years ago near Otley.


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## MollyMoomin (25 January 2012)

Kirsty, she did :nod:


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## Tanta (25 January 2012)

It would be really good if H&H were able to get hold of a photo of her and publish it - so people can be aware of her in future. She is bound to pop straight back up again and try the same thing again.


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## kirstyl (25 January 2012)

MollyMoomin said:



			Kirsty, she did :nod:
		
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Thought so!


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## HHnewsdesk (25 January 2012)

Tanta said:



			It would be really good if H&H were able to get hold of a photo of her and publish it - so people can be aware of her in future. She is bound to pop straight back up again and try the same thing again.
		
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If anyone can supply one we would be grateful - we shall verify it with York Council before printing of course


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## fatpiggy (25 January 2012)

Tanta said:



			It would be really good if H&H were able to get hold of a photo of her and publish it - so people can be aware of her in future. She is bound to pop straight back up again and try the same thing again.
		
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Copies should be sent to every tack and feed outlet in a 50 mile radius.  The best weapon we have is word of mouth. I heard of another dealer in Yorkshire (a man though) who bought a horse which had had two seizures, telling the seller that it was to be a companion for his driving horse and lead a nice life in the field blah blah, and then sold it (claiming it was a showjumper) to a woman who had two young children.

in the old days these scum would have been put in the local stocks. I'm sure I could rustle up some mouldy fruit and veg. Actually, horse muck sprayed on them might be a better punishment.


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## Velma (25 January 2012)

fatpiggy said:



			Copies should be sent to every tack and feed outlet in a 50 mile radius.  The best weapon we have is word of mouth. I heard of another dealer in Yorkshire (a man though) who bought a horse which had had two seizures, telling the seller that it was to be a companion for his driving horse and lead a nice life in the field blah blah, and then sold it (claiming it was a showjumper) to a woman who had two young children.

in the old days these scum would have been put in the local stocks. I'm sure I could rustle up some mouldy fruit and veg. Actually, horse muck sprayed on them might be a better punishment.
		
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Horse muck is too good for these kind of people.


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## MHOL (26 January 2012)

She goes by the name of Katherine Dobbs so if you have loaned a horse to her get in touch


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## emmaahm (26 January 2012)

my irish pony was sold to her last yr,she told me he was going to be a companion for a filly that escaped field as it had no company.
i sold him never to be ridden as he was dangerous,haveing got several "good" riders injured,an if they managed to stay of he would run through barbed wire fences ect to get away,i saw him advertised on preloved 7days later as a 1st ridden suitable for a novice!!!!!! he could have killed somone,i gutted i sold him an would love to find out what happened to him  
emmaahm@live.co.uk


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## Amymay (26 January 2012)

Good results.

Ted's Mum - take hied.


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## suenut (26 January 2012)

Her picture is on her face book profile, but think it may be an old one, I am sad to say she used to come for lessons when I had a riding school in the area. So sad she has come to this though


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## SonnysHumanSlave (26 January 2012)

So it is actually illegal to sell on a horse you were given as a companion.

Interesting, so all the posts we've had on here in the past..... I sold/gave my horse to XXXX as a companion, now they have it up for sale at £xk.  Can now all be brought up for prosecution?
I see an appeal coming on here, unfortunatley.


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## cptrayes (26 January 2012)

I <3 My Teddi said:



			So it is actually illegal to sell on a horse you were given as a companion.

Interesting, so all the posts we've had on here in the past..... I sold/gave my horse to XXXX as a companion, now they have it up for sale at £xk.  Can now all be brought up for prosecution?
I see an appeal coming on here, unfortunatley.
		
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The illegal bit is selling the horses on as sound or good to ride when you were given them precisely because they were not.  Possibly also a fraud in persuading owners to part with their horses to you under false pretences as you had every intention of selling them before you took them on.


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## Amymay (27 January 2012)

cptrayes said:



			The illegal bit is selling the horses on as sound or good to ride when you were given them precisely because they were not.  Possibly also a fraud in persuading owners to part with their horses to you under false pretences as you had every intention of selling them before you took them on.
		
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Exactly.


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## ILuvCowparsely (27 January 2012)

more on it here   may she rot in hell
 they  actually give her full address. I bet she will get allot of unpleasant mail through her door 
http://www.minsterfm.com/news/local/603518/rogue-horse-trader-escapes-jail/

http://www.yorkpress.co.uk/news/9491152.Horse_cheat_sentenced/

 I think one must have a signed agreement to loanee that  under no terms must the horse be sold or passed to another person if in the even the Loanee   wants to give up his rights to the horse it must be returned to  original owner.


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## Dovorian (27 January 2012)

So if somebody decides to 'gift' a horse can they still specify that it may not be sold on? 
I bought my boy for a nominal amount, nothing written down but I did agree not to sell him without informing old owner. 
I would stick to this but many probably wouldn't!


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## lachlanandmarcus (27 January 2012)

I dont think so no, I mean, they can try by getting the buyer to sign it but if it is sold it is sold, or at least that seems to be how the law sees it. Loaning is different as the owner retains some rights. 

It does seem very jumbled tho, I mean if I sold some land I could put all sorts of clauses about getting x % of the increased value if it got planning for houses in 10 years time, and these seem to be enforceable. Maybe land is taken more seriously than sentient animals that just get treated as chattels; or perhaps its because the land registry etc for land means that such agreements are properly held and agreed to exist officially and so are more enforceable.


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