Guilty: Shropshire pensioner stole pedigree pups from farm
A pensioner has been convicted of stealing seven pedigree miniature dachshund puppies from a farm.
Dog keeper David Burdis had denied taking the pups from the farm at Sleap, near Wem, but was found guilty by a jury at Shrewsbury Crown Court yesterday following a brief trial.
Judge Jonathan Gosling adjourned sentence on 68-year-old Burdis for reports until later this month.
Burdis, of Rigby Lane, Bromsgrove in Worcestershire, was allowed bail.
Dog breeder Marcia Jones, who runs the farm at The Old Crematorium, had told the jury she discovered that seven out of eight dachshund puppies were missing on the morning of December 15, 2013.
She said she had been with another woman discussing the sale of a horse when the thefts occurred when Burdis visited the farm the previous day in response to an ad for the sale of a dog.
The court heard that Burdis was captured on CCTV, along with another unnamed man, scooping up the puppies into his hoodie from two closed plastic boxes.
Two of the puppies, which were micro-chipped and vaccinated, were later found in Aylesbury and Nottingham.
The farm at Sleap had several security cameras which had captured the number plate of Burdis's vehicle as it arrived at, and later, left the premises.
Giving evidence Burdis claimed he had wanted to give his account when interviewed by police but had been advised by his lawyer to make no comment. He alleged he and his friend were seen by the owner, watching off-camera, as they picked up the puppies to move them to a cleaner pen.
