Kitten suffered repeated fractures and attempts to suffocate him before being killed by his owners
A six-month-old kitten was subjected to “astonishing cruelty” over a series of separate attacks, suffering multiple fractures and evidence of attempted suffocation before eventually dying from his injuries.
Luke Wilcock and Morgan Hawksworth, of Grimsby, were convicted of causing unnecessary suffering to the kitten, named Stirling, following a trial.
Stirling’s death prompted an RSPCA investigation after Wilcock contacted a veterinary practice for advice and later took the kitten in for emergency assessment.
By the time Stirling arrived, he was already dead.
The RSPCA said there was a copious amount of blood around his mouth, while injuries to his ribs were also identified.
Veterinary records raised further concerns because Stirling had previously received treatment in November 2023 for injuries which had reportedly been blamed on a fall.
The case was referred to the RSPCA and a subsequent post-mortem examination revealed the shocking extent of what the young animal had endured.
Evidence showed Stirling had suffered repeated trauma during at least three separate incidents of physical abuse.
He had sustained multiple fractures at different times, demonstrating that his injuries had not resulted from one isolated incident.
Investigators also found evidence that attempts had been made to suffocate the kitten.
Wilcock, who has links to Barnsley, and Hawksworth, who has links to Worksop in Nottinghamshire, both denied causing unnecessary suffering to a protected animal.
They were, however, convicted following a trial.
The court heard in mitigation that Wilcock had health issues and was immature.
Following the case, RSPCA Chief Inspector Tom Hutton described what happened to Stirling as “astonishing cruelty to a defenceless animal.”
He said it was heartbreaking that Stirling had been so young when he died and had been forced to endure unnecessary pain and suffering during his short life.
The sentences handed to the pair were markedly different.
Wilcock was jailed for three-and-a-half years and disqualified from keeping animals for life.
Hawksworth received a 26-week prison sentence, suspended for 12 months, and was disqualified from keeping animals for 10 years.
Her animal ban is due to run until June 2036.
