Lowestoft: Man swallowed two live goldfish for internet prank, court is told
A Lowestoft man who swallowed two live goldfish for an internet prank has been fined �200 by magistrates today. Picture by Jerry Turner.
A Lowestoft man who swallowed two live goldfish for an internet prank has been fined £200 by magistrates today.
Jack Blowers, 20, of Colville Road, was filmed consuming the fish from a pint glass by a friend as part of the internet craze Neknominate, which sees people encouraging one another to drink something, often alcohol, before passing on the dare to others.
Blowers was filmed setting up a pint-sized aquarium, complete with gravel and fish food, in a glass before drinking it in one go.
He then regurgitated the two live fish into a toilet bowl.
Blowers pleaded guilty to failing to meet the needs of the fish by failing to protect them from pain, suffering and injury by swallowing them live and then regurgitating them; and failing to provide them with a suitable environment.
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The offence happened on February 2 and the court heard after being nominated in the craze Blowers and a friend Joseph Meikle went out to buy two gold fish for the internet stunt, which was uploaded onto Facebook after Mr Meikle had filmed it.
Kevin Batch, prosecuting for the RSPCA, said: “This case involves the current craze of Neknominate.
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“The problem with this craze is that more often or not the next nomination has to be more extreme than the previous nomination.
“In this case the nomination was clearly to drink two goldfish.”
Blowers was sober when he drank the fish as he had decided he did not want to drink alcohol as he did not want to get sick.
Describing how Blowers swallowed the fish, Mr Batch said: “He gives it (the glass) a stir and drinks it, including the fish.”
The court heard Blowers had taken the two goldfish out of the toilet and had taken them to his grandmother’s house, where they are still being kept.
Richard Mann, mitigating for Blowers, said his client was extremely remorseful for what he had done and had not realised it was against the law to swallow goldfish.
Blowers, who works for a family roofing company and has no previous convictions, was fined £200, ordered to pay £600 in prosecution costs and a £20 victim surcharge.
He was also banned from keeping any fish for 12 months.
The court heard Mr Meikle, of Cranfield Close, had been given a written caution from the RSPCA in regards of the incident.
