CID MAY CONTEST ANN STOTT ILLNESS (From Warrington Guardian)

CID MAY CONTEST ANN STOTT ILLNESS

DETECTIVES waiting to press fraud charges against the former owner of Crewe Animal Rescue Centre may challenge medical evidence which has ruled her too ill to attend court.

Crewe CID and RSPCA inspectors were frustrated when Ann Stott, aged 56, failed for a second time to face 37 animal cruelty charges at the magistrates court on Tuesday.

Chris Dodd, representing Mrs Stott, said she was taken to hospital last week and was undergoing extensive tests and brain scans, but entered not guilty pleas on her behalf to all charges and agreed to a trial date from April 26.

Mrs Stott was first taken to hospital suffering from a stroke after the corpses of 140 animals were found at the rescue and a nearby lock-up garage in May last year.

Detective Constable John Ruggiero, heading the fraud enquiry, said later he was ready to press charges as soon as she was fit to attend court.

"Our fraud investigations have gone really well and we have got a file of evidence which is ready to be put before the court. Unfortunately we can't get the lady into court," he said.

"All we are going off is the evidence of one doctor, whether we will challenge the evidence of that doctor I don't know.

"At some point I would hope we could take it further and have her independently examined to get a second opinion. If that second opinion is the same then we can't do much about it".

"This is a high profile case which is in the public interest. I still hope that at some point we will be able to hear the charges in court."

Co-defendant Christine Collins had previously pleaded not guilty to 10 similar charges of omitting to do an act resulting in the unnecessary suffering of animals.

The trial, which will be held at Crewe Magistrates, is expected to last three days with 12 prosecution witnesses, and around six defence witnesses.

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