Jail for man who killed kittens in attempt to upset ex-partner

A man has been jailed for 20 weeks after brutally slaying four kittens.

John Stephen Akrill, 47, of Great Fryupdale, strangled the animals then beat them with a hammer having previously threatened to harm them in an attempt to get back at his former partner.

Akrill pleaded guilty to one allegation under the Animal Welfare Act at Scarborough Magistrates’ Court on Monday.

He admitted, on or about Aug u s t 1 6 , 2 0 1 4 , c au s i n g unnecessary suffering to four kittens by killing them in an inhumane and inappro- priate manner.

Akrill admitted that he had broken the black and white kittens’ necks by strangling them, before hitt i ng them over the head with a hammer and dumping them in a bin, from where RSPCA inspectors retrieved their bloodied bodies.

RSPCA i nspector Karen C o l man s a i d : “B l o o d wa s f ound on t he pavi ng s l abs of the courtyard outside his home, so I assume this was where [the killing] happened.

“He [ Akrill ] s ai d he di d i t because they had cat flu, but they were all in good body condition and no evidence of cat flu or any other illness was found either by our vet or in post mortem.”

Earlier the same day, Akrill had sent text messages to his ex- partner t hreate ni ng t o kill the eight-week- old animals.

“This was a cruel act carried out to upset Mr Akrill’s ex- partner,” Inspector Colman added.

“The kitten she was the most fond of had received the worst of the blunt force trauma.”

In addition to his prison sentence, Akrill was banned by the court from keeping animals for life.