Man who killed family cat after it 'hissed at him' said he didn't think throwing pet in air would hurt it

A man killed his family's cat, throwing the animal in the air after it 'hissed at him'. Richard Collier, 29, and his loved ones were in the living room of their Stockport home when he launched the pet, Bella, upwards while it was in its bed.

After landing on the floor, Collier picked the cat up, before it had a seizure. The animal died in his arms. Collier, from Woodley, accepted 'causing unnecessary suffering to a protected animal' and was handed a suspended prison sentence.

Stockport Magistrates' Court was read a basis of plea document, in which Collier accepted throwing the animal into the air after it 'hissed at him' on January 23.

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His statement read: "I was in the living room with my partner and children. Bella [the cat] was on the back of the sofa near my partner. She grabbed it and threw her to the floor and it ran into the soft cat tent.

"Bella hissed at me, I don't know why but I threw it up into the air and she landed on the floor. I thought it would just get a shock. It had a seizure and died in my arms."

Collier said he was 'very upset and sorry', claiming he didn't mean to hurt the cat. He said he had been diagnosed with 'intermittent explosive disorder'. In a statement, his former partner described Collier's behaviour as 'disgusting'.

Reading the statement on her behalf, prosecutor Ewan Cooper said: "It's not normal to behave in this way, it is not normal for kids to see that and they'll be affected by it.

"It's not normal to go from sitting as a family to killing an innocent cat by smacking it against the floor." Mitigating, Saul Komish said Collier 'lost his temper', adding: "He accepted that he lost his temper as the cat went inside and threw the cat bed up into the air causing it to have a seizure.

"It was the family cat, they had it for six years, he was close to the cat. He is clearly remorseful."

Mr Komish said Collier had no intention of injuring the cat, but the consequences of his actions were 'clearly foreseeable'. He added that he has had no contact with his partner or children since the attack.

"He would say it was not a deliberate attempt to cause injury, but it was a momentary lapse in judgement," the solicitor added.

Sentencing Collier, chair of the bench Karl McLaughlin said: "You have accepted your guilt for your actions which led to the devastating consequences causing the death of the family cat. Whilst we accept it was not intentional, it was foreseeable."

Collier was handed a 12-week sentence, suspended for 12 months. He was ordered to complete 100 hours unpaid work and 20 rehabilitation activity requirements. He was also ordered to pay £239 court costs.