BLACKPOOL MAN CARL DYSON CONVICTED OF INHUMANE CAT KILLING
Carl Anthony Dyson, born on March 4, 1979, and residing on Belmont Avenue, Blackpool FY1 4BG, was convicted in 2020 of the inhumane killing of a cat named Paddy.Dyson, a father of two, admitted to killing the female black and white long-haired cat at an address on Salthouse Avenue, Blackpool, on October 23, 2019.
The court heard that Dyson was seen by a neighbor carrying Paddy, wrapped in a pink towel, into a friend’s backyard.
There, he dropped a large concrete slab twice onto the cat’s head, actions described as "inhuman" by the court.
A witness testified, "She saw Dyson drop a slab as thick as a laptop on the cat’s head as it lay in the yard,” and added that the cat was attempting to escape before Dyson released the slab.
Prosecutor Paul Ridehalgh, representing the RSPCA, described the witness statement: "The witness saw Dyson drop a slab as thick as a laptop on the cat’s head as it lay in the yard.
She saw the cat try to escape from the blanket before Dyson did the same thing again." The neighbor’s alarm prompted RSPCA inspectors to investigate, uncovering "a plethora" of traumatic injuries to Paddy’s head.
An inspector observed a black and white plastic cat carrier with blood on it, where the cat’s body was later found.
The injuries indicated massive head trauma, including a crushed side and bulging eye.
Dyson initially claimed he thought the cat had been hit by a car.
After notifying Paddy’s owner, Anthony Johnson, the cat’s body was taken for detailed examination.
The veterinarian confirmed that Paddy had suffered catastrophic injuries caused by forceful compression of the head, which would have been very painful and rapid in death.
Further findings revealed the cat was severely underweight, covered in fleas and faeces, with matted fur, and was suffering from a cancerous tumour in the mouth.
When questioned, Dyson stated he believed the cat was injured in a road accident and admitted to panicking.
His lawyer, Gary McAnulty of Fylde Law, explained that Dyson was experiencing mental health issues, including anxiety and depression.
Magistrate Ed Beaman sentenced Dyson to 12 weeks in jail, with release on bail pending appeal, and ordered him to pay £200 in costs and charges.
Dyson was also banned from owning, keeping, or managing animals indefinitely.
The court’s ruling emphasized that dropping a concrete slab on a defenseless cat was unacceptable, and a reasonable person would have taken the animal to a vet instead.
