ABUSED TWO KITTENS AND KILLED ONE OF THEM.
Michael Sweetman, aged 28 and residing in Ovingdean, Brighton BN2, was found responsible for abusing two kittens and was responsible for the death of one of them.Sweetman admitted to charges of inflicting physical harm on the two cats.
The deceased kitten, a tabby named Prince, had been given to Sweetman approximately one month prior to his tragic death.
Prince’s previous owners discovered Sweetman burying the cat and later exhumed the body, which was found inside a shoebox.
They contacted law enforcement, prompting the RSPCA to become involved.
RSPCA inspector Charlotte Beaumann stated: “Inside the shoebox was a deceased male tabby kitten wrapped in a towel.
I immediately observed a large haematoma on the kitten’s left ear, along with bruising, and similar bruising was apparent on the other ear.” The police seized Prince’s remains along with a second cat found severely injured.
Both animals were taken into RSPCA custody.
Veterinary examinations, including X-rays, revealed that Prince had sustained numerous serious injuries that could not be explained naturally.
An autopsy confirmed he had a fractured pelvis, a possible rib fracture, and a tail fracture.
Sweetman claimed that Prince’s injuries were caused by a fall into a toilet, but the evidence’s details did not support this assertion.
The postmortem results showed no signs of any underlying health issues that would make his bones more fragile.
The veterinary report stated: “Prince died due to severe blunt force trauma, including a depressed skull fracture, inflicted within the home.
Such injuries cannot reasonably be explained apart from physical abuse.” It added: “The pattern and nature of the injuries strongly suggest that Prince was forcefully held by the scruff of his neck and hurled into a solid object, resulting in fractures along the left side of his body.
These injuries would have caused pain and suffering, and Prince would have experienced fear and distress during the several seconds prior to the fatal head injury.” The second kitten sustained a fractured tail vertebra similar to Prince’s.
She recovered after fostering with the RSPCA and was later rehomed.
In court, Sweetman received a sentence of five months in prison, suspended for 12 months.
Additionally, he was ordered to complete 150 hours of unpaid work, attend 20 days of rehabilitation, and undergo six months of alcohol treatment.
Furthermore, he is banned from owning animals for ten years.
