Yesterday, the magistrates gave him a 12-week prison sentence, suspended with supervision for two years, banned him for life from keeping animals, withdrew his pet shop licence and banned him from ever having another.
The magistrates also ordered him to pay costs of £549 – rejecting a prosecution claim for costs totalling more than £11,000.
Bench chairman Robert Patt-erson told Luther: “These matters are so serious we feel that only a custodial sentence is appropriate.
“You had these animals for commercial gain, and their suffering led to injury and death. You ignored advice and warnings.”
Luther, admitted the two most serious offences he faced, of failing to meet the needs of 27 reptiles for a suitable environment, and failing to meet their needs for a suitable diet.
He also admitted failing to protect a king snake with a parasitic infection, a baby boa constrictor with a skin-shedding disorder which could lead to permanent skin damage, a python with an open neck wound, a leopard gecko with hind limb paralysis, a corn snake with untreated pus in the eye, and a bearded dragon with an untreated abscess on its elbow.
Clive Mc-Keag, solicitor for the RSPCA, told the court: “This is an extreme case, aggravated by the fact that Luther was making money out of the reptiles.
“What we cannot have is someone purporting to be expert when he is causing unnecessary suffering to reptiles.”
The alert about problems at Luther’s shop started in December last year, when a member of the public reported concerns to South Tyneside Council about the way reptiles were being treated, said Mr McKeag.
Environmental health officers visited the shop on Christmas Eve and found that some animals were injured, kept in poor conditions and were being given an inappropriate diet.
Injuries to the reptiles ranged from infestations of mites to missing limbs.
They were taken to the Reptile Hotel in South Shields, and the RSPCA alerted.
Seven of the 27 reptiles seized died.
The council issued statutory notices ordering Luther to improve conditions, and he told an officer it was “like a kick up the backside”.
But when council officers and the RSPCA visited the shop on January 28 this year, they found conditions were still unsatisfactory.
Most of the reptiles were kept in temperatures as low as 6C, when all should have been in temperatures no lower than 29C, said Mr McKeag.
The reptiles were examined by specialist vet Jacqui Patterson, whose report concluded that all the animals had been caused unnecessary suffering through the failure to provide adequate heating, poor husbandry and inadequate food.
Mr McKeag said Luther was interviewed, but could give no proper explanation about what went wrong, other than that he had been concentrating on the shop.
Mr McKeag said the prosecution was applying for full costs – £549 for the RSPCA’s investigation costs, £6,046 in vet’s costs, £3,652 for boarding fees paid by the council and £950 in legal costs.
Ian Haq, mitigating, said Luther had had the shop for 10 years and initially sold fish before going on to sell reptiles, feeling he had enough knowledge of them.
“Ultimately, he realises he clearly did not have the knowledge. He couldn’t afford to employ staff and was running the shop on his own, which he found difficult.”
Luther’s wife had died recently and he was now the sole carer for his 12-year-old grandson.
Mr Haq said: “He simply wouldn’t be able to pay the full costs as requested. He is deeply remorseful and deeply embarrassed. He didn’t deliberately set out to hurt these animals. He has now retired.”