Grandma loses court battle to keep ‘dangerous’ monkeys in £250k enclosure after multiple escapes

A woman who constructed a £250,000 primate enclosure cannot keep her animals inside it after a court heard she "doesn't give a monkeys" about her dangerous wild animals licence.

Dawn Groom purchased a £1.5m Dorset property after selling her previous home in Buckinghamshire, where she kept eight capuchins and seven ring-tailed lemurs.

She overcame planning objections from local residents and animal rights campaigner Dr Alison Cronin, founder of Monkey World, to construct the high-cost enclosures on the grounds.

However, the widow and grandmother has been prevented from moving there for eight years because Dorset Council refuses to issue a Dangerous Wild Animal licence.

Social media images discovered by Dr Cronin showed that Ms Groom repeatedly violated her previous Buckinghamshire licence conditions.

Among the photographs was one showing a person clutching a beer bottle and holding a capuchin monkey by its tail.

Another photo showed a four-year-old boy dangerously close to one monkey that has large canine-like teeth and was out of its enclosure.

There had also been several monkey escapes from the Buckinghamshire enclosure, with Ms Groom taking a relaxed approach to getting them back, it was heard.

A vet said that Ms Groom, 61, told her one capuchin monkey was missing for most of a day, which the owner seemed to find amusing.

Another breach of her licence arose when she illegally transported a wedge-capped capuchin monkey called Billy-Jo from Buckinghamshire to Dorset, which is a criminal offence although Dorset Council did not prosecute her, the court heard.

Ms Groom, who claims she once supplied a capuchin monkey for the filming of The Hangover II, also admitted to giving the animals pizza and sausage rolls as treats.

She appealed Dorset Council's decision not to grant her the licence she needed because some of her pets, the capuchin monkeys and ring-tailed lemurs, are classed as dangerous wild animals.

A court heard that Ms Groom was very experienced at looking after monkeys, loved her pets very much, and was so well-respected that Defra has consulted her on primate legislation.

But after hearing all the evidence, magistrates decided not to grant her the DWA licence for Dorset.

Magistrate Nicola Phillips, chair of the bench, said: "We believe the licence to be very straightforward and easy and not difficult to understand.

"We have no doubt of the love Dawn Groom has for her animals but this is no substitute for complying with a Dangerous Wild Animals licence.

"As such we don't believe Mrs Groom is suitable to have a DWA licence in Dorset therefore a licence will not be granted today."

Ms Groom, who has been living in a trailer on her Buckinghamshire site, will now have to pay council court costs of £35,000 and said she will have to sell the Dorset property.

The court agreed to give her 12 months to pay.

Syan Ventom, prosecuting for Dorset Council, told Weymouth Magistrates' Court: "Mrs Groom keeps a collection of primates in Buckinghamshire. Amongst those are two species that require a licence under the Dangerous Wild Animals Act – capuchin monkeys and ring-tailed lemurs.

"She has acquired such a licence from the local authority in Buckinghamshire but wants to move her collection to Dorset.

"She applied to Dorset Council for a similar licence but that application was refused. Dorset Council submit that she is not a suitable person.

"She committed an offence under the DWA act in July 2024 when she brought a single capuchin monkey to Dorset without the benefit of a licence.

"In addition she has breached her licence in Buckinghamshire on three occasions.

"It appears there have been a number of escapes of primates and there are also concerns about her attitude towards those escapes."

Giving evidence, Ms Groom said: "The monkeys are my life, I would follow the legislation like I have with all other authorities for the last 24 years. I have had the odd slip, I admit it, I'm not perfect.

"I feel I am suitable (to have a DWA licence). I've had enough years training, experience, held various licences with other authorities, and never come under question from anybody other than Dorset."

But Mr Ventom accused Ms Groom of "not giving a monkey’s" about the licence she held.

He put to her: "You are an intelligent woman, how can you be confused about a licence that has 20 conditions?

"No pun intended but you don't give a monkey's about the licence conditions do you? We see them being breached by you time and time again.

"Do you feel the licence doesn't apply to you?

"You view these monkeys as your pets, but they are not, they are dangerous wild animals."

Dr Holly Asquith-Barnes, a vet who carried out the licence assessment, told the court she saw evidence on Ms Groom's social media of improper handling and treatment of the animals, biosecurity concerns and safety issues.

She said of the photo showing a capuchin monkey being held by its tail: "It isn't a particularly kind way to handle an animal.

"It's a category 1 dangerous wild animal, it should be treated with quite a lot of caution.

"Capuchins are very intelligent and when sufficiently motivated they can seriously injure each other or people – they have very large canine teeth."

She said there were also a number of public photos that caused her concerns about biosecurity with mixing of different species, and safety concerns with adults and children in close contact with a dangerous wild animal.

She said she was most concerned about a photo showing a capuchin monkey out of its enclosure and extremely close to a four-year-old child.

She said: "As a dangerous animal that's just not appropriate."