10-year animal ban for Shropshire man who set trap for his neighbour's cat

Michael Anitt used instructions from the internet to create the snare which captured the white tabby called Jeremy in his back garden at the property, in Erw Wen, Morda, near Oswestry.

He had intended to capture the cat and then remove it from the area, but his plan failed when the pet was discovered in a distressed state wrapped in wire and suspended off the ground by his horrified owners after he failed to return home on the morning of April 29. He was bleeding and suffered a foot injury during the ordeal.

Anitt, aged 40, pleaded guilty to an offence of causing unnecessary suffering to a protected animal at Telford Magistrates Court.

Mr Roger Price, prosecuting on behalf of the RSPCA, said the animal belonged to the Taylor family, who lived next door to the defendant.

"At about 8am Mr Taylor went to the sliding door at the rear of his property to let them in, but only James was there. Jeremy was missing which was unusual. Not only was he missing, but he had not come back for any food overnight. They looked for him, but didn't get any response to their calls.

"By midday there was still no sign of him and Mr and Mrs Taylor went out instructing their teenage daughter to carry on calling for the cat.

"They had not gone far when their daughter contacted them to say she heard a noise responding to her calls. The noise came from behind a locked gate leading to the garden of Anitt.

"Mr Taylor peered over the gate at this stage and heard the noise which sounded like their cat in distress. He forced the gate open knowing that Anitt was on holiday at the time. The cat was two or three metres from the gate. He was caught in the snare which was wrapped around his stomach. The wire was suspended a few inches off the ground.

"In his statement Mr Taylor says they were upset by what they saw. His wife and daughter were in tears and distraught. The wire was holding the cat fast. They managed to bend the wire and release him. They took him home and gave him some water and food, but he appeared to have difficulty digesting. He was bleeding and his claws were missing."

He said the cat had since recovered.

In his interview with RSPCA officers, Anitt admitted that he had set the trap, and that he was "at the end of his tether" after pet repellent failed to to stop Jeremy from entering the premises and said he was concerned that his three-year-old son would pick up an infection from cat faeces.

Mr David Freeman, mitigating, said: "It built up to the point where he decided to have a look on the internet to find help for this problem.The idea was to get the cat to go away in a different manner to which he had already tried. He was remorseful and he apologised and offered to pay the vet's bill which he has already done."

For the offence Anitt was fined £406, ordered to pay costs £135 and victims' surcharge of £41. He was also banned from keeping or controlling animals for 10 years under section 31 of the Animal Welfare Act 2006.