Woman Sadistically Tortures Exotic Monkey, Gets Banned From Keeping Pets For 5 Years

A woman in the U.K. was banned from keeping a pet for life Friday after subjecting her exotic pet monkey to horrific sadistic abuse for months.

Vicki Holland, 38, of Newport, South Wales, was accused of depriving her exotic monkey, named Milly, of proper care, trying to make it snort cocaine on one occasion, and even trying to flush it down the toilet, according to The Telegraph.

The matter came to light after police raided Holland's home in 2019 about something unrelated to the monkey. Authorities seized items including the defendant's mobile phone, and while inspecting the device, they found 22 disturbing footage depicting the monkey's torture at the hands of Holland, according to South Wales Argus.

In one of the three video clips shown in court, Milly was seen in a "very distressed state," cowered into the toilet bowl. Holland is heard on the video saying "I need the toilet," "Shall I flush it?" as the terrified animal gazes at her, the outlet reported. Holland then flushed the toilet and called the animal a "f***ing t**t" and told it "don't attack me."

In another video, Holland could be heard saying: "Want some coke? Lick my fingers."

In a third video, Holland's pet dog was seen pretty close to the monkey and then chasing it around the home strewn with knives and electrical outlets, an environment particularly dangerous for monkeys, according to South Wales Argus.

Marmosets are native to tropical areas of South America, and when kept in other countries, the owners require to meet the animals' "very particular set of needs," said prosecuting attorney Aled Watkins. Watkins said that Holland didn't meet those needs and also didn't provide the animal a suitable diet. Watkins said she provided no UVB lighting for the monkey, its cage was "devoid of decor needed for environmental enrichment."

Holland allegedly gave the monkey kebabs, burgers, and sausages showing total disregard to the "basic care and needs" of the animal, Watkins told the court. "This is deliberate infliction, this isn't neglect," he said. Scott Bowen, defending, said Holland was "deeply embarrassed and deeply ashamed of her behaviour".

The Gwent Magistrates Court handed Holland a 12-week prison sentence. She was also banned from owning any animal for at least up to five years. Holland was ordered to pay $752.60 in penalty. "I was immediately and gravely concerned about the welfare of this marmoset when I saw these disturbing videos," RSPCA inspector and exotics officer Sophie Daniels told the court. "Videos from the defendant’s phone showed Holland offering the marmoset cocaine, while another showed the clearly terrified marmoset down a toilet bowl."

"Holland was shouting, swearing, laughing, and at one point in the clip, the toilet is flushed, showing the petrified animal struggling to cling onto the side of the bowl. An independent vet soon confirmed that the marmoset was suffering unnecessarily as a result of the way she had been treated."

Monkey rehabilitation experts who were caring for Milly said they had "never seen such a terrified marmoset." “Milly cringed away and hid from every person she encountered, any loud noise or sudden movement would send her into a screaming alarm call and looking for somewhere to hide," Team Leader of Small Monkeys, an organization that rehabilitated Milly, Steph Sawyer, told Euro News.

"Milly cringed away and hid from every person she encountered, any loud noise or sudden movement would send her into a screaming alarm call and looking for somewhere to hide. She wouldn’t move or eat in front of us, to begin with; only freeze and hide. Even now that she is settled and happy with a male, the sight of new people can still cause her to panic. The mental scarring from her abuse will always be with her."