Rotherham couple banned from keeping pets after 'sadistic abuse' of kittens found with burns and broken bones
Blunt force trauma, burns, broken bones and brain damage were all inflicted on three defenceless cats by the pair of 22-year-olds.
A Rotherham couple has been banned from keeping all animals for life after a court heard about a catalogue of abuse to their kittens.
Blunt force trauma, burns, broken bones and brain damage were all inflicted on three defenceless cats by Ruhit Dey and Amelia Pike, both aged 22 and of Winifred Street, Rotherham.
The couple were sentenced at Sheffield Magistrates Court on May 24 after pleading guilty to seven animal welfare offences following an investigation and prosecution brought by the RSPCA.
Dey was also handed a suspended prison sentence for his offences, while Pike must carry out a 12-month community order.
Concerns were raised to the RSPCA after a kitten called Gwen was taken to a veterinary practice in a collapsed state. Despite vets performing CPR, Gwen had sadly already passed away.
The pair claimed an interaction with their other kitten caused Gwen to inhale water and choke.
But a post mortem revealed Gwen also had burns on her paw pads and a broken leg.
Dey had been alone with Gwen at the time but claimed he did not witness the incident.
Another kitten called Meg had previously been taken to a vet by the couple with a broken jaw and brain injuries. These injuries resulted in her suffering from seizures and she had to be put to sleep. Their owners claimed at the time these injuries were caused after she ran into a piece of furniture.
A vet confirmed the injuries to both kittens were not consistent with the stories given by Dey and Pike. An RSPCA inspector investigated and steps were taken to remove the couple’s remaining animals for their safety while the investigation was ongoing.
A third kitten called Glen was found to have suffered multiple broken bones including a broken femur which required surgery.
Pike later admitted failing to investigate Glen’s lameness - and the pair admitted failing to protect all three kittens from injury, pain and suffering.
In sentencing, the judge spoke of “deliberate sadistic abuse which happened to more than one animal” carried out by Dey especially. He said: “The nature of this offence leads me to conclude that neither of you can have any animals in your care or control so I impose a lifetime disqualification with 10 years termination.
For two of the offences, Dey was sentenced to 26 weeks imprisonment and for a further offence, 12 weeks imprisonment, which will run concurrently and both suspended for 18 months. He was also ordered to complete 200 hours of unpaid work in the community and pay £554 in costs.
Pike was sentenced to a 12 month community order requiring 200 hours of unpaid work, a 20 day Rehabilitation Activity Requirement (RAR) and was also ordered to pay £400 costs.
A surviving kitten and another called Cosmo, that was not part of the case, were signed over to the charity and have since been rehomed.
Following the sentencing hearing, a spokesperson for the RSPCA said: “This was a very upsetting case for our inspector to investigate as it involved deliberate cruelty against very young animals. It’s completely unacceptable to treat any animal in this way and we will always look into reports of animal cruelty and, where necessary, seek justice for that animal.”