Overview

• Andrew Claridge-Fleming received a 27-month prison term suspended for 18 months and was ordered to complete 180 hours of unpaid work after pleading guilty at Bournemouth Crown Court.
• Prosecutors detailed how two client dogs and one of his own died of heatstroke after being confined in crates inside his Land Rover Discovery for six hours in 22–23°C conditions outside Ashley Manor Farm.
• Claridge-Fleming maintained he left water and opened the boot and rear windows but said the doors were closed when he returned, insisting he was not directly responsible for the fatalities.
• Judge Suzanne Evans KC condemned his “shocking lack of care” and emphasized that industry norms do not justify exposing dogs to fatal temperatures.
• Following the conviction, Claridge-Fleming continues to run Gordleton Gundogs on a referral-only basis and the RSPCA has renewed its warning that even brief confinement in hot vehicles can kill.