CONVICTED (2022) | pet shop owner Joseph Paul Ghessen, born December 1980, of 144-146 Westbourne Grove, London W11 2RR – kept a horribly abused marmoset monkey in a tiny cage.
Joseph Ghessen, who runs Cally Pets in Caledonian Road, Islington, has been banned from owning primates indefinitely after his depressed monkey escaped from a tiny cage in a London flat and showed signs of horrible abuse.
Ghessen was investigated by the RSPCA after the female marmoset named Nicky escaped his London flat in Notting Hill.
In June 2019 an animal welfare inspector found little Nicky in a sorry state showing upsetting signs of abuse including hair loss, bruising and rickets.
The depressed marmoset fell from Ghessen’s flat where she had been caged alone since her companion horrifically died in a fire. Previous reports said that Ghessen had owned five marmosets at one time and it’s not clear what happened to the others.
RSPCA Inspector Callum Isitt, who found Nicky, said: “I soon identified her owner as he had reported that his pet marmoset was missing.
“When I visited his home, I could see that Nicky was living in unacceptable conditions. Primates are intelligent, sentient and highly social animals with complex needs. But Nicky had been kept in a cage that was too small.”
The rickets was caused by the lack of ultra violet lighting, which is important for the bone health of monkeys.
Mr Isitt said Ghessen provided Nicky with very little environmental enrichment or mental stimulation.
In March 2021 Ghessen was found guilty of not meeting the needs of his pet marmoset and was disqualified from keeping a pet for 10 years, as well as being handed a £250 fine and was made to pay £1,200 costs.
However, on February 11, 2022 Ghessen appeared in court again to appeal against this sentence. But rather than reduce the terms of his sentence, a judge at Southwark Crown Court decided to increase his ban on keeping primates from 10 years to an indefinite period of time, and ordered that Ghessen pay a further £300 towards prosecution costs.
Nicky has since been re-homed to a specialist facility where she is living a happier life.
Mr Issit said: “It was clear Nicky’s needs just weren’t being met. She will now live out the rest of her natural life at a specialist primate boarding facility in a suitable environment where she will be able to socialise with other members of her species.”
Sentencing: ordered to pay £1,450 in fines and costs. Originally banned from keeping animals for 10 years but the ban on keeping primates was extended to indefinite after Ghessen appealed.