Catnapper tempted pets by shaking treat box

AN ALLEGED catnapper jailed for trying to lure a neighbour’s pets into her home by rattling a box of treats has been told to move house or face more prison time.

Angela Montogomery, 50, insisted that cats were hers and ignored repeated warnings to stop interfering with the animals at a retirement complex in North Yorkshire.

In November, she was jailed for 12 weeks, having previously received a four week suspended sentence for breaching a court order.

But now a frustrated judge has warned her that if she does not move away from the area she could be sent to prison again.

Residents at Winston Court in Norton-on-derwent, North Yorkshire, said she had made their lives a misery since moving into the complex. She was accused of rattling a box of treats to lure her neighbours’ pets into her flat and refusing to accept they were not hers, even though they were microchipped.

Montgomery insisted they had originally belonged to her and her late mother and had simply been taken in by her neighbours. But she ended up in court last May accused of using threatening words and behaviour and was handed a restraining order that demanded she stay away from the cats.

Montgomery failed to heed the warning and breached the order six times, ending up in front of the same judge on each occasion.

York Crown Court was shown doorbell camera footage that showed her calling for one of the cats.

Last autumn, she was given a four week suspended jail term for breaching the order, but ended up in court again a short time later, when she was sent to prison for 12 weeks.

The day after she was released from prison she was accused of having breached the order again.

Eleanor Guildford, prosecuting, said on Nov 30 that Montgomery, who has 13 previous convictions, was spotted on CCTV outside her neighbour’s window at about 1pm. She continued to appear going back and forth until around 7pm that day, the court was told. The footage showed calling for a cat while trying to avoid being picked up by the camera.

Ms Guildford said the incident caused the neighbour “significant harm” and resulted in a call to police.

Judge Sean Morris, the recorder of York, issued Montgomery with final warning, telling her to move away from the housing association property or face further jail time.