Teenager spared jail for kicking cat and burning it alive while smashed on JD

Website: The Metro
Date: 05/02/2015
Link : http://metro.co.uk/2015/02/05/teenager-spared-jail-for-kicking-cat-and-burning-it-alive-while-smashed-on-jd-5050929/

A teenager who drank an entire bottle of Jack Daniels before killing a cat has been spared jail.

The man, 19, kicked the defenceless cat three times while wearing steel toe-capped boots, paralysing it before he put it on a fire.

The brutal attack was carried out after the cat scratched him at the Jesus Army Christian Church where he was living in Nether Heyford, Northamptonshire.

Vets who examined the cat, which belonged to the owners of the church, said that it had suffered broken bones, fractures, internal bleeding and a severed spinal cord.

But the man was told he would not have to go to jail and was instead handed a 12 week suspended prison sentence.

He admitted causing unnecessary suffering to an animal and was banned from keeping animals for 10 years. He was also ordered to pay £2,353.15 in court costs.

Northampton Magistrates Court heard the cat died after sustaining ‘extreme pain and suffering’.

District Judge Tim Daber told the man it was ‘completely incredible’ someone would take their anger out on ‘a defenceless animal’.

He said: ‘Neither arguments, drinking or scratches are any excuse whatsoever. It shows incredible cruelty.

‘It is a very close call but your age, remorse and record for making positive contributions to the community have persuaded me to just keep you out of prison on this occasion.’