Latest news with #animalSanctuary
Telegraph
2 days ago
- General
- Telegraph
Ex-glamour model Jodie Marsh can keep lemurs, judge rules
Jodie Marsh, the former glamour model, can keep lemurs at her Essex animal sanctuary, a judge has ruled. The 46-year-old applied for a wild animal licence to keep eight ring-tailed lemurs at her Fripps Farm sanctuary in Lindsell, but it was refused by the council over noise complaints. District Judge Christopher Williams said he was persuaded 'the noise made by the lemurs is not a nuisance' in a ruling on Tuesday. He added: 'I am satisfied on the balance of probabilities that the decision by Uttlesford district council was wrong and continues to be wrong. I allow the appeal.' Ms Marsh, who wore a black blazer, black top and leggings, sat behind her lawyer at Chelmsford magistrates' court and cried during the ruling before thanking her lawyer and the judge. Uttlesford district council rejected Ms Marsh's application last year, but she told an earlier hearing that online trolls were behind much of the criticism of her animal sanctuary. At a previous hearing, video clips of screeching lemurs at a zoo were played to the court. The district council said Ms Marsh had been unable to provide a noise nuisance survey, but Paul Oakley, for Ms Marsh, said the council's 'conclusion lemurs were likely to contribute to the [noise)] impact' was 'speculation'. The court previously heard Ms Marsh had hand-reared a meerkat called Mabel and joked about 'taking her to the pub four times a week' on GB News. Uttlesford district council received 19 statements from locals opposing the licence, but the judge ruled that Ms Marsh 'genuinely cares for the animals' at her sanctuary. Summing up his findings, he said: 'Ms Marsh may not be popular in the surrounding area, but based on the evidence given to this court I conclude that she is a person who genuinely cares for the animals. 'Ms Marsh is not and has not been responsible for any harm or ill-treatment [of the animals in her care].' The court heard Essex Police, Essex Fire and Rescue Service and the RSPCA had not raised any concerns over Ms Marsh's application for a licence to keep the lemurs. The judge ruled that Ms Marsh's licence application should be granted, with conditions. He approved an application for costs of £19,641 to be paid to Ms Marsh by Uttlesford district council. Speaking outside court, Ms Marsh said: 'I'm just really sad that it has had to come to this. You know, it's a complete waste of time and effort and everything else. As the judge said, the decision was wrong in the first place. 'I am just over the moon. He categorically proved in there that I am a suitable person to rescue animals and that all I care about is the safety and health and wellbeing of the animals. And I hope that shuts my trolls up once and for all.'
Daily Mail
2 days ago
- General
- Daily Mail
Jodie Marsh breaks down in tears as she WINS battle to keep lemurs at her OnlyFans-funded animal sanctuary
Former glamour model Jodie Marsh wept tears of joy today as she won a bitter legal battle to keep eight lemurs at her animal sanctuary. The ex-lads' mags favourite, who went on to become a media personality, had appealed against a council's refusal to grant her a wild animal licence for Fripps Farm in Lindsell, Essex. Uttlesford District Council blocked the application last year after members claimed she treated the animals there as 'pets' after hearing she had taken a baby meerkat and an owl to a pub. There were also concerns about noise. But Marsh – who uses funds from OnlyFans to pay for the upkeep of more than 400 animals at the sanctuary including emus and reptiles – claimed she was the victim of criticism from online trolls. She also said the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs had no concerns about animals in her care following inspections. The 46-year-old, who trained as a bodybuilder and has appeared on Essex Wives and Celebrity Big Brother, broke down in tears as District Judge Christopher Williams ruled in her favour today at Chelmsford Magistrates Court. He said: 'On the basis of the evidence available I am persuaded that the noise made by the lemurs is not a nuisance. 'I am satisfied on the balance of probabilities that the decision by Uttlesford District Council was wrong and continues to be wrong. I allow the appeal.' Marsh, who wore a black blazer, black top and leggings, thanked her lawyer and the judge. In July last year, councillors said she was 'not suitable' to look after animals after hearing how she had taken the meerkat and owl to a local pub. UDC councillor Richard Freeman told a meeting of its licensing and environmental health committee: 'The panel is concerned that Jodie Marsh has a perception that the animals in her care are personal pets.' Video clips of screeching lemurs at a zoo were also played at a previous court hearing and the district council said Marsh had failed to provide a noise nuisance survey. Ring-tailed lemurs live on 'troops' of up to 30 and are known as one of the most vocal primates. But Paul Oakley, for Marsh, said the council's 'conclusion lemurs were likely to contribute to the (noise) impact' at the five-acre site was 'speculation'. Marsh also dismissed concerns about her treatment of animals, explaining she had been 'hand-rearing' the meerkat when she took it to a friend's pub 'on a few occasions'. Describing the sanctuary as a 'dream' she'd had since she was five years old, she rounded on the trolls, saying: 'They lash out, they pick on you, as in my case. 'When I was bodybuilding they trolled me for that, when I was modelling they trolled me for that, now it's the animals.' The council received 19 objections from local residents about the licence application. But the court heard Essex Police, Essex Fire and Rescue Service and the RSPCA had not raised any concerns over the application for the lemurs, an endangered species from Madagascar. Summing up his findings, Judge Williams said there was 'considerable animosity between Ms Marsh and the members of the local community'. But he added: 'Ms Marsh may not be popular in the surrounding area but, based on the evidence given to this court, I conclude that she is a person who genuinely cares for her animals. 'Ms Marsh is not, and has not been, responsible for any harm or ill-treatment [of the animals in her care].' Granting the licence, he also approved an application for costs of £19,641 to be paid to Marsh by Uttlesford District Council. The council said in a statement after today's judgement: 'The decision by councillors to not grant the Dangerous Wild Animals licence was made following careful consideration of both the supporting and opposing evidence in a public process. 'Whilst we are disappointed with the ruling today, the court has taken a fresh look at it and reached a different conclusion, which we fully accept.' In 2023, Marsh told BBC Essex that OnlyFans was 'amazing' and 'paid my staff wages for the first year'. She added: 'They all joke and say 'Your boobs paid our wages'.'
The Independent
2 days ago
- General
- The Independent
Jodie Marsh wins legal battle to keep lemurs at sanctuary
Jodie Marsh, a former glamour model, has won her appeal against Uttlesford District Council, allowing her to keep lemurs at her animal sanctuary in Essex. The council had previously denied Ms Marsh's application for a wild animal licence. However, District Judge Christopher Williams ruled in favour of Ms Marsh on Tuesday at Chelmsford Magistrates' Court. "On the basis of the evidence available I am persuaded that the noise made by the lemurs is not a nuisance," he said. "I am satisfied on the balance of probabilities that the decision by Uttlesford District Council was wrong and continues to be wrong. I allow the appeal." Ms Marsh was seen crying as the judgment was read out. She expressed her gratitude to her lawyer and the judge following the ruling. Uttlesford District Council rejected Ms Marsh's application in 2024 after complaints, but the 46-year-old told an earlier hearing that online trolls are behind much of the criticism of her animal sanctuary. At a previous hearing, video clips of screeching lemurs at a zoo were played to the court. The district council said Ms Marsh, who trained as a bodybuilder, had been unable to provide a noise nuisance survey but Paul Oakley, for Ms Marsh, said the council's 'conclusion lemurs were likely to contribute to the (noise) impact' was 'speculation'. The court previously heard that Ms Marsh had hand-reared a meerkat called Mabel and had joked about 'taking her to the pub four times a week' on GB News. The council received 19 statements from local residents opposing the licence but the judge ruled that Ms Marsh 'genuinely cares for the animals' at her sanctuary. Summing up his findings, Judge Williams said: 'Ms Marsh may not be popular in the surrounding area but based on the evidence given to this court I conclude that she is a person who genuinely cares for the animals.' 'Ms Marsh is not and has not been responsible for any harm or ill treatment (of the animals in her care).' The court heard Essex Police, Essex Fire and Rescue Service and the RSPCA had not raised any concerns over Ms Marsh's application for a licence to keep eight ring-tailed lemurs. The judge ruled that Ms Marsh's licence application, on behalf of Fripps Farm, should be granted, with conditions. He approved an application for costs of £19,641 to be paid to Ms Marsh by Uttlesford District Council.
BBC News
2 days ago
- General
- BBC News
Jodie Marsh wins lemur fight against Uttlesford District Council
Jodie Marsh should be allowed to keep lemurs at her private animal sanctuary, a judge has former glamour model fought Uttlesford District Council in court after it refused her application for a wild animal licence in July had been raised about her taking a meerkat from her farm near Braintree, Essex, to the pub, but Ms Marsh insisted she was being targeted by online Judge Christopher Williams said the 46-year-old was "someone who very much cares for animals". He ordered the local authority to pay her £19,641 in costs at Chelmsford Magistrates' of Fripps Farm, which Ms Marsh founded in Lindsell in 2020, attended several hearings to voice their opposition against Williams said there was "considerable animosity" between all Marsh, who appeared in the ITV series Essex Wives in 2002, took the council to court after it did not allow her to adopt eight ring-tailed already cared for alpacas, emus and reptiles at the 4.5-acre (1.8ha) site and wept in court as the judge ruled in her favour. Follow Essex news on BBC Sounds, Facebook, Instagram and X.
BBC News
24-05-2025
- Health
- BBC News
Defibrillator installed at animal sanctuary in Wolvey in son's memory
A family-run charity has installed a defibrillator at an animal sanctuary in memory of their animal-loving son, who died of a cardiac arrest at the age of Rees, from Wolvey in Warwickshire, collapsed and later died on New Year's Day in 2022. There was a defibrillator near the scene, but his friends soon realised it was locked inside a school, so they were unable to access then, the OurJay Foundation was set up by Jamie's family to fundraise and install defibrillators across Rugby, Warwickshire, and even further week, the charity installed a community defibrillator at the Nuneaton and Warwickshire Wildlife Sanctuary, on Oaston Road in Nuneaton. Jamie's mother and the chair of the OurJay Foundation, Naomi Rees-Issitt, said she was thrilled to be able to combine the ability to help people with helping animals through the installation of the defibrillator at the Rees-Issitt said: "One of Jamie's biggest passions and loves when he was with us was animals. "He loved foxes - we used to live in a village, and he walked the lanes to try and see foxes. "He had a passion for any animal. He used to rescue them. If he ever saw one in distress, he'd be the first to pull over and try to help."When visiting the sanctuary for the installation, Mrs Rees-Issitt told her husband: "It's somewhere Jamie would have absolutely loved to visit." Geoff Grewcock runs the sanctuary with his daughter, Emma said: "It is fantastic that two charities with saving lives at the heart of them can come together to provide something so crucial for the community."The process is simple. If the equipment is needed, just call 999 and read them the location on the box, and they will issue a code and instructions."Everyone in the town knows where the sanctuary is, so it couldn't be easier for people to access in the event of an emergency.""It was an absolute joy to work with Geoff and Emma," Mrs Rees-Issitt said. "We absolutely love to work with other charities. A lot wouldn't be able to afford to buy a defibrillator." So far, the OurJay Foundation has installed 259 defibrillators that are accessible to the community 24/7, alongside 60 in Snap Fitness gyms and 61 portable pitch-side defibrillators at sports Rees-Issitt said that so far, they were aware of 16 lives that had been saved through their defibrillators, as well as one life saved through one of their bleed kits, which are kept alongside the defibrillators, after a stabbing in one occasion, she received a bouquet of flowers from a woman who said the defibrillator had saved her mum's life. Follow BBC Coventry & Warwickshire on BBC Sounds, Facebook, X and Instagram.
