Chesterfield man banned from keeping animals after breaking kitten’s leg before feeding it co-codamol

Malcom Troke, aged 42, of Devon Drive, Brimington, Chesterfield, struck his seven-month-old tabby cat with such force that she flew off of a kitchen worktop and into a radiator, breaking her left hind leg.

Troke didn’t seek veterinary advice for the cat, named Baby, until two to three weeks after the incident, leaving her in unimaginable pain.

Instead he tried to feed the little kitten co-codamol.

In a statement at Derby Magistrates Court on May 12, the vet who examined Baby said she felt “uncomfortable” with Troke’s behaviour when he brought the kitten in on April 12, 2024, saying he would “pick her up around her abdomen and swing her from side to side above the consultation table, as if it was a game” - adding that this behaviour made the cat stressed and scared.

She added that Troke told her: “I walked into the kitchen and she was eating my f**king food. I told her to get down and she didn’t so I hit her and I’m heavy-handed so she fell and hit the radiator on the way down, yeah I smacked her hard.

“She didn’t move for two to three days so I took food to her.”

Troke also told the vet he gave Baby a quarter of a Co-codamol tablet, which contains paracetamol and codeine, to help with her pain, followed by two further doses.

Paracetamol is extremely toxic to cats. However, as Baby showed no symptoms of toxicity, the vet concluded she may have spat the tablet out.

Following her examination, the vet contacted the RSPCA as she was concerned that “left in his [Troke’s] care, she [Baby] is highly likely to suffer further injury and/or death” - and Inspector Kim Greaves visited Troke’s address to investigate.

Troke signed Baby into the RSPCA’s care on July 28 last year, and it was later discovered that she needed surgery on her leg for a fractured femur.

The vet who performed the surgery, at a clinic in Sheffield, said in a statement to the court that “these injuries are usually very painful, debilitating and difficult to repair”.

Thankfully, Baby made a full recovery and was later rehomed from the RSPCA Chesterfield and North Derbyshire branch.

In mitigation, the court heard that Troke hit Baby with “too much force, but it was not a malicious strike” - and he did eventually take her to the vet. They also cited mental health problems and drug issues.

The magistrates’ chairman told Troke ahead of sentencing: “Your actions and violence towards this cat had the result of breaking the head of its femur, which is quite a significant injury. You knew the cat was in pain, it was screaming in pain.”

RSPCA Inspector Kim Greaves, who investigated on behalf of the animal welfare charity, said: “This was a deliberate act of violence against a defenceless kitten - there is simply no excuse.

“Owning a pet is a privilege and they are reliant upon their owners to care for them, and keep them safe from harm. Sadly, Baby was failed by her owner.

“We’re so pleased that despite her ordeal, she’s made a good recovery and we’re so glad she’s now with a new family who show her the love and care she deserves.”

At Derby Magistrates Court on May 12, Troke was banned from owning animals for 10 years and handed a 16-week prison sentence, suspended for 12 months.

He was also given a 15 rehabilitation activity requirement days and a six-month drug referral requirement, after pleading guilty to an animal welfare offence. He must also pay court costs of £400, plus a victim surcharge of £154.