Jail warning for kitten killer in drunken row

A drunken row led to a man launching his partner's young kitten at a wall, causing injuries that led to it having to be put down.

Frank O'Connor, aged 40, hurled three-month-old Louis with such force that he was left with fatal injuries.

O'Connor has been told by magistrates he now faces jail after admitting animal cruelty and a separate charge of assaulting his partner.

At Wolverhampton Magistrates Court, prosecutor Mr Roger Bleazard said the incident took place at O'Connor's home in Carter Road, Whitmore Reans, on May 19.

"There was a verbal altercation between the complainant and the defendant, who had both been drinking," said Mr Bleazard.

"It started with Mr O'Connor pushing the complainant five times to arms and body during an assault. That stopped and he then walked towards the complainant's three-month-old kitten, Louis. He picked the kitten up and threw it at full force at the living room wall."

Mr Bleazard said the kitten appeared "lifeless" following the incident and that O'Connor's partner started to shout: "You've killed my baby". An assessment by a vet indicated that Louis needed to be put to sleep.

Mr John Roe, for O'Connor, said his client had been drinking heavily and that he was "immediately remorseful" for what Mr Roe described as "heat of the moment actions".

"The complainant left the property and he remained at the scene and was there when police arrived," said Mr Roe. "He went with the cat to the vets and immediately tried to put matters right."

Chairman of the bench Mrs Kate Hazenburg adj-ourned the case for sentencing, which will take place on June 21. She said: "For this offence we are going to ask for a pre-sentence report. We are looking at custody as an option and are asking the Probation Service to write a report on that basis.

"The offence is aggravated by the significant force used on the cat, the influence of alcohol and that the injuries were so severe that the kitten had to be put to sleep."

O'Connor was given conditional bail. He is not allowed to contact the complainant in the case or be in a property where there is a domestic pet or working animal.