Grandmother who dumped kitten in neighbour's wheelie bin walks free

Callous grandmother, 49, who dumped her kitten in neighbour’s wheelie bin before trying to stone screaming pet to death with a brick grins as she walks free from court

• Pamela Mattinson, 49, hurled a brick into a bin while the cat was cowering inside
• The cat was left with an injured hind leg and was heavily bleeding from one paw 

A callous grandmother who dumped her kitten in a neighbour’s wheelie bin before trying to ‘stone’ it to death during a drinking binge grinned as she walked free from a court.

Pamela Mattinson, 49, repeatedly hurled a large brick into the bin with both hands as the terrified animal lay screaming inside.

She initially fled the scene when confronted by the neighbour but returned, pulled the kitten out a plastic bag and told him: ‘why is my cat in your bin?’ before threatening to smash his windows.

Police arrested Mattinson as she was carrying the cat in her arms to a local vet. The unnamed moggy was said to be distressed and had injured one of its hind legs and was also bleeding heavily from its paw. It has since made a miraculous recovery and is with new owners.

When quizzed Mattinson, from Bolton, Greater Manchester who calls herself: ‘B**** wiv attitude’ on Facebook said she had accidentally injured her pet whilst trying to frighten off a larger cat which had been harassing it.

Pamela Mattinson (pictured), 49, repeatedly hurled a large brick into the bin with both hands as the terrified animal lay screaming inside

The moggy was said to be distressed and had injured one of its hind legs and was also bleeding heavily from its paw. Pictured: The cat believed to belong to Mattinson

She claimed she had been attempting to put the kitten ‘out of its misery’ but also confessed she had been drinking vodka in the run up to the incident.

At Bolton Crown Court, Mattinson who admitted causing unnecessary suffering and using threatening behaviour was sentenced to eight months jail but it was suspended for two years. She was also banned from keeping animals for ten years.

Edmund Potts, prosecuting, said, ‘On March 2 2023 a neighbour heard a loud banding noise from the rear window of his property and also heard the screams of what sounded like an animal.

‘He went to the back window to see the defendant standing by his bin. She was picking up what looked like a large brick and throwing it with two hands down into the bin. He recorded the defendant repeat this action four times.

‘The neighbour then opened the back door to his garden and asked what she was doing but in response, the defendant ran back to her own garden next door. The neighbour called the police but a short time after the defendant returned and pulled her cat out black bin bag at the bottom of the bin saying, ‘why is my cat in your bin?’

‘She then threatened to put his windows in before leaving with the cat in her hands and walking towards a local vet. She was later detained by the police nearby. A PC noticed the cat was frightened and seized it from her.

She claimed she had been attempting to put the kitten ‘out of its misery’ but also confessed she had been drinking vodka in the run up to the incident

‘The cat was distressed and had injured one of its hind legs. It was also bleeding heavily from its paw. The defendant was arrested and admitted to committing the offences in an interview conducted later in the day.

‘The cat was taken to the Pet Medic centre in Worsley where it received treatment for four days. When it arrived, it was unable to place weight onto its hind legs. It eventually made a full recovery and the defendant agreed to sign the kitten over to the police. Its current owner is not known.’

Mattinson had 13 previous offences on her record – but none for animal cruelty.

In mitigation defence counsel Colin Buckle said, ‘There is another larger cat in the area that would harass the kitten. At the time she had come back from work and went for a bottle of vodka before letting her kitten out.

‘The big cat began to harass the kitten and in response she picked up a large brick and tried to throw it at the bigger cat but hit her cat instead. She then decided she would put it out of its misery.

‘She is someone who has made a horrendous decision. It is so unusual, is a one off and won’t happen again. She has struggled with alcoholism in the past and she was vulnerable at the time. She is seeking to address her dependency and currently lives with her eldest son. She is currently out of work despite having worked previously.’

Mattinson had 13 previous offences on her record – but none for animal cruelty

Sentencing Judge Nicholas Clarke KC told Mattinson to complete 20 rehabilitation activity days as well as 180 hours of unpaid work. She was also referred to the Women’s Problem-Solving Court, where she will appear on the 6th of November.

He told her: ‘As a judge I have to deal with many incidents of people who are cruel or neglectful to animals. In this particular case you were not merely cruel or neglectful, you were deliberately trying to kill that cat.

‘The footage taken by the other party in the case shows a most despicable crime.

‘It is quite sadistic to place the cat in the bin and then target it with such forceful blows. Perhaps the most remarkable thing is that no further damage befell that poor creature. This particular animal got off lightly, although it was extraordinarily frightened.

‘You have previous convictions for aggression, including domestic abuse convictions against your former and current partner. However, most of these offences are linked with excessive alcohol. You also have PTSD stemming from abuse you suffered as a child. Your behaviour can be addressed should you engage with probation.’

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