Gold Coast breeder slammed for sending geckos in the post without food, water or breathing holes

A REPTILE seller forged wildlife licences to sell geckos and pythons, defrauding customers of $11,000 to help fund cosmetic surgery.

In this photo released by the Australian Customs Service 20/05/2008, a Australian leaf-tail gecko which was found concealed within a book intended for delivery in the Czech Republic is seen in Sydney. Wildlife smugglers tried to mail 15 Australian geckos to Europe in hollowed-out books and photo frames, but most of the leaf-tail geckos were found dead from lack of air, food and water when the parcels were opened by Australia Post, said a statement from the Customs Service. Those that survived were being looked after by wildlife activists.

A SLIMY reptile seller who sent geckos through the post in packages without breathing holes, water or food, sent one buyer a note with a dead gecko that said, “He likes to play dead”.

Andrew Walmsley, 25, defrauded customers who found him through the website Reptiles Down Under, using fake names and forged wildlife licences to sell geckos and pythons.

On several occasions the Pimpama man sent geckos through the postal system in plastic takeaway containers, without food or water, leaving unsuspecting buyers to open the packages only to find dead or dying reptiles.

While the containers had breathing holes, the Australia Post packaging did not.

Andrew Walmsley leaves the Southport Magistrates Court. Picture: Meagan Weymes.

One of the packages came with a note that said, “He likes to play dead” on top of a plastic container with a dead southern leaf tail gecko inside.

Walmsley also pretended to sell three pythons online but then failed to send the reptiles as promised — pocketing more than $11,000 from the frauds.

When unhappy customers contacted Walmsley looking for refunds or their missing items, he dodged their calls.

Walmsley pleaded guilty in Southport Magistrates Court yesterday to 26 offences, including animal cruelty, fraud and forgery.

Police prosecutor Nina Sulzer argued the case was serious enough that Walmsley should be sent to jail.

A leaf tail gecko.

“He was confining the subject reptiles in inappropriate packaging, making no arrangements for food, water, shelter or rest during their transport,” she said.

“This is subsequently resulting in the subject reptiles suffering from injury, illness or death.”

Ms Sulzer said Walmsley clearly made no attempt to care for the animals.

Solicitor Michael Gatenby, from Gatenby Criminal Law, said his client defrauded people by pretending to have a wildlife licence when he did not.

Mr Gatenby said Walmsley had bred and sent bona fide southern leaf tail geckos and that “people got what they paid for, except for those who got dead ones”.

He said his client did not understand there would be no breathing holes in the Australia Post packaging.

“He was under the honest and mistaken belief that the reptiles would be OK,” he said.

“It wasn’t intentional to send them dead animals.

“I’m sure a gecko in the postal system being tossed around would have found it unpleasant.”

Mr Gatenby said Walmsley, a Gold Coast City Council contractor, had given most of the money to his ex-girlfriend to pay for Botox and a breast augmentation.

Magistrate Gary Finger said it “beggars belief” Walmsley sent the animals believing that they would be safe.

“Only two of these animals died and that’s a minor miracle,” he said.

Mr Finger sentenced Walmsley to four months jail with immediate parole, placed him on a 15 month probation order and fined him $3200.

Walmsley was also ordered to pay back $15,800 to his victims and was banned from owning or possessing animals for three years.