Man who killed a cat in washing machine given a suspended sentence
AMAN who killed a cat in a washing machine has walked free from court with a suspended prison sentence, the RSPCA has revealed.
Robert Lay, 32, from Heywood, Rochdale, was banned from keeping any animal as a pet for life and jailed for 14 weeks, suspended for 12 months.
A court heard Lay put the cat, called Buddy, into the washing machine then switched it onto a wash cycle after the cat has scratched him, the RSPCA said.
He then took the cat’s body and put it behind a bush in a cemetery.
Speaking after a sentencing hearing, RSPCA Inspector Natalie Taylor, who investigated the case, said: “This was a deeply distressing case involving intentional harm and cruelty to a defenceless cat.
“It is heartbreaking to think about the pain and suffering Buddy endured.
“We are grateful to the people who worked with us on getting this case to court.”
Lay appeared at Bradford Magistrates’ Court on February 29 for a sentencing hearing after pleading guilty at an earlier
hearing.
He admitted causing unnecessary suffering to an animal ‘on or about’ February 11, 2023, at an address in the Queensbury area of Bradford.
The cat didn’t belong to him and his remains were found in Queensbury Cemetery, in Bradford.
In a statement, the charity said: “The RSPCA was made aware after Lay admitted to putting Buddy in a washing machine on a Facebook chat group.
“After the cat’s body was discovered, he was taken to a vet who was able to find the owner through the cat’s microchip.
“The court heard that a post-mortem examination showed Buddy had a number of injuries, including fractures, bruising and skin lacerations consistent with being placed in a washing machine on a high heat.”
An expert vet’s witness statement, presented to the court, said Buddy had attempted to grip onto the drum with its claws.
It said: “The cat would have experienced suffering via mechanisms of fear, distress and pain for a period of at least several minutes, possibly longer.”