Fin fatale!
Actress poured bleach into cheating lover’s tropical fish tank, yelling ‘Die! Die! Die!’
A spurned lover filmed herself killing her former partner’s tropical fish by pouring bleach into their tank while shouting ‘die! die! die!’ – then sent him the video.
serena reynoldson, 35, a jobless actress and photographer, killed at least 30 fish, including guppies and tetras, as she tipped a litre of bleach into the tank.
reynoldson’s act of revenge came after John Fitzpatrick, 35, cheated on her and moved out of their home, a court heard yesterday.
prosecutor simon White told Oxford magistrates the fish – some of them protected species – began suffering ‘immediately’.
reynoldson recorded two videos during the attack and sent them via WhatsApp. she said on film: ‘Bleach – right in there. drink it good.
‘Oh look, they’re drinking it. die! die! die! And die! If I can’t have no hobbies or a life, you can’t have them either and I’m not paying for it. I don’t think they are dying – oh look, they are. Let me get some more bleach.’
In the second video, reynoldson said: ‘Oh no, I think they’re dying. Bleach, bleach and more bleach – let’s pour it in. Oh no, they are all dying. Oh no, they are dead. Look. Oh no, poor fish.’
she also swore at Mr Fitzpatrick and called him ‘selfish’. during the rant she claimed Mr Fitzpatrick’s pet snake ‘would be next’ as she accused him of making her pay for his animals.
Mr White, prosecuting on behalf of the rspCA, said that reynoldson later told police she did not realise what she was pouring into the tank. ‘she said that John has got a fish tank and a snake and she is paying for it. she claimed she did not think the fish would suffer and that her ex-partner was controlling and manipulating everything.’
But he insisted: ‘she poured bleach in there knowing what the effect would be.’
Mr White pointed out that bleach was not recognised as a means of euthanasia for fish. He told the court: ‘she claimed it was not pretried
‘She threatened other animals’
meditated, and apologised. she said she has never harmed animals, she is not a nasty, disgusting person.’ He added: ‘she did of course make threats to the other animals, but did not carry out these threats.’
The court heard the fish were loved by the couple’s four children. reynoldson claimed to have been suffering stress following the breakdown of the relationship.
Charlie Moss, defending, said the couple had separated because ‘her ex-partner was unfaithful and they to work it out but this was the final straw for her.’ reynoldson, who described herself as an ‘actor, extra, model and photographer’ on an online agency listing, had since suffered considerable ‘emotional stress’ in looking after the children and had struggled for money.
Mr Moss told the court: ‘she has said that this was not a planned incident – it was something that happened out of anger and frustration. she deeply regrets her actions and says it is unacceptable.’
A probation worker told magistrates that reynoldson said she was ‘overwhelmed with stress and pressure’ and was ‘the victim of domestic abuse’. reynoldson, from ducklington, Oxfordshire, admitted causing unnecessary suffering to a protected species and was sentenced to 18 weeks in prison suspended for 12 months.
she was also disqualified from keeping fish for life, ordered to do unpaid work and told to pay a £115 victim’s surcharge and £300 costs.
After the hearing, Inspector Andy eddy, of the rspCA, said: ‘The videos were really shocking.
‘I was quite horrified when I saw the footage and how blasé she was when doing that to the fish. she did not seem to show any remorse.’