A man has been given a suspended sentence after admitting poisoning his neighbours’ cats.
Tristian Paul Pearson received an eight-month prison sentence suspended for 18 months for targeting family pets Luna and Bailey and luring them to consume the toxic substance ethylene glycol.
Luna and Bailey died shortly after the poisonings took place in early September 2021, when a week apart they returned home looking unwell.
Bailey. Photo: family brochure/PA
Both cats appeared weak and wobbly on their legs, with Bailey, a male Persian, dying before he could be seen by a vet. Luna, who was later found to have kidney failure, had to be put down by a vet to end her suffering.
At a hearing on Friday, Cardiff Crown Court heard how after her death the cats’ devastated owners, a father and daughter who lived in two separate houses near Pearson’s home, began searching the gardens of their neighbors. When they looked into the back garden of Pearson’s property they saw two pots: one containing a bright blue liquid and another that appeared to have tuna in it.
The pots were passed to the RSPCA and both were found to have a high concentration of ethylene glycol, a substance highly toxic to cats. A report by veterinary experts concluded that it was “very likely that [the pots] was the source of ethylene glycol that caused the death of “Luna and Bailey”.
A statement from the veterinarian added that “the effects of ethylene glycol poisoning cause a cat to suffer through the mechanism of dehydration with subsequent headaches, nausea, disorientation, weakness and collapse.”
Pearson, 44, of Bargoed, South Wales, pleaded guilty to causing unnecessary suffering to protected animals. He was ordered to do 150 hours of unpaid work and banned from keeping all animals for five years, a ban he cannot challenge for at least four years. He was also ordered to pay £2,000 in costs.
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RSPCA Inspector Simon Evans, who investigated the case, said: “These poor cats were deliberately tempted to ingest a substance that is incredibly dangerous to cats and it ultimately proved fatal for both of them. dishes found in the defendant’s garden contained a high concentration of the dangerous substance – and he admitted in court that his consumption caused them to suffer unnecessarily.
“We hope this shocking and historic case sends a clear message to anyone thinking of targeting cats in this way: this is wrong, illegal and will not be tolerated.”
The RSPCA believes it is the first case to be referred to a Crown Court since the Animal Welfare (Sentencing) Act 2021 came into force. It increased the maximum sentence offenders could be given from six months to five years.
Evans added: “This case is a reminder that pet poisonings do happen. Anyone who fears their cat has been poisoned should try to remain calm, move the cat away from the source and contact a vet immediately.”