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Original poster

Woman gets 6 weeks for killing cat in washing machine.

19 replies

Caligula · 20/10/2005 11:05

horrible story
found this story really disturbing. On all sorts of levels. The fact that this woman has mental health problems and was presumably not receiving much support. The fact that she is in charge of a young child. And the fact that if she belongs in prison at all (and I'm not sure whether it's punishment or treatment she needs), why only for 6 weeks, for such an horrific act of cruelty? Made me shudder.

OP posts:
flamebat · 20/10/2005 11:08

I think she needs treatment rather than punishment (possibly secure treatement, but treated nonetheless), and 6 weeks is just bizzare!!!

There is no way that a woman with that little temper control should be left with children.

expatinscotland · 20/10/2005 11:10

What is she going to do to her kids when they scratch her or accidentally upset her?

This woman should NOT have her kids until she's able to get some help w/her mental issues.

Marina · 20/10/2005 11:19

Agree with everyone else here. The woman needs help, it seems to me, and if the court thought otherwise she should have received a far longer prison sentence for this barbaric act.

Chloe55 · 20/10/2005 11:21

People like her make me sick, what on earth goes through these people's minds? I shudder at the thought

Janos · 20/10/2005 11:23

That is just vile. It really doesn't bear thinking about what that poor cat must have gone through.

Agreed she should get longer than six weeks. Having mental health issues is not an excuse.

edam · 20/10/2005 11:33

Dreadful thing to do - almost unbearable to think about. If she does have mental health issues, and was unable to control herself or fully understand the consequences of her actions, then she definitely needs help especially because her behaviour here suggests her kids may potentially be at risk.

Maybe the prison sentence was imposed to deter anyone else who might be cruel to animals?

knickerbockerglory · 20/10/2005 11:33

Awful. Awful. Shouldn't judge anyone by appearances ( her photo in article) but I've never seen someone look so mean and angry. What I should like to know is - when a case like this appears in the press, whether the local authorities follow up to see if she has mistreated her children in the same way. Like everyone here has said - if a cat scratching her is enough to make her want to kill it in a barbaric horrific way AND derive pleasure and satisfaction from it then what chance does a child have? DO NOT UNDERSTAND some people! Isn't her ex. concerned?? ( Sorry rhetorical question - know none of you will be able to answer that)

HRHQoQ · 20/10/2005 11:37

Think it's a horrifying thing to do - BUT - I'd like to say - that just because someone has a violent temper, and is able to 'dish it out' to animals (and possible other 'non human'objects) DOESN'T mean she's going to harm her children. I haven't read anywhere that's she's ever attacked a person, so why would she 'automatically' show her violence towards her children?

I've thumped, smacked and kicked DH in the past (not recently I hasten to add ), and have punched things, thrown things etc etc - but (although I DO smack my children - after other punishments and warnings that they'll get a smack) I've never taken my anger out on them, and would never dream of doing so.

WigWamBam · 20/10/2005 11:46

I haven't read anywhere that she'd ever attacked another animal, QoQ, but it didn't stop her putting the cat into the washing machine.

I agree that it doesn't automatically mean she's going to be violent to her children, but surely it's right that there is some concern for the children if their mother is so unstable that she felt a suitable punishment for a cat scratching her was to put the animal on a boil wash in the washing machine.

Janos · 20/10/2005 11:54

HRH, I see your point but at the same time there is a lot of evidence to show that animal cruelty is often an indicator of domestic violence/abuse. Her behaviour was extremely sadistic. Lashing out you can just about understand but not something like that.

mumfor1sttime · 20/10/2005 11:56

She should be put into a big washing machine on a hot wash and see how she likes it....

mememum · 20/10/2005 12:12

This happened really near to me, it was reported in our local news that she also made the children watch. Really shocking. I know you can't judge everyone but some parts of the place where she lives, lets just say you wouldn't walk around on your own.

expatinscotland · 20/10/2005 12:14

That is messed up, man.

lanismum · 20/10/2005 13:00

im with mumfor1sttime, that poor poor cat

pixel · 20/10/2005 17:23

What an evil witch. I'd throw away the key.

I once knew someone who killed her cat in the tumble dryer but that was by accident. She didn't realise the cat had gone to sleep in there and just chucked in the clothes and switched it on. It was in an outhouse so she didn't find out until she went back to empty it. Poor woman was devastated.

I just can't imagine anyone being wicked enough to do it on purpose.

PeachyClairPumpkinPie · 20/10/2005 17:37

This might be out of date, but a while back there was research that led to RSPCA (I think it was them- may have been another) discussing collborating with child protection services because evidence suggested that those who abuse animals were likely to abuse their kids.

And making the kids watch if she did IS abuse.

If you can't look after a cat, indeed if youcan kill a cat, how can you be trusted with a screaming, tantrumming kid who has kept you awake three nights in a row?

Original poster
Caligula · 20/10/2005 18:30

I'm sure I remember reading somewhere that serial killers often had a history of cruelty to animals as children. But that sounds a bit hysterical, so it could have been in The Sun, or somewhere else unreliable.

OP posts:
Blandmum · 20/10/2005 18:39

Regardless of the fact that she might abuse the child or not, if it a 'normal' environment to bring up a child? What sort of childhood is the child going to have if torturing animals is the norm in the house

NightHowl · 21/10/2005 04:36

ok so the fact she did that to her pet doesnt automatically mean she abuses her kids but it wasnt just a temper tantrum was it? it was a sadistic act of cruelty. surely if someone has that kind of...im stuggling for a word here...if someone has it in them to do that then perhaps it is a cause for concern. ive hit out at partners in the past and ive got a terrible temper (not often seen) but no way would i ever do anything lke that...i could not watch something or someone suffer. in my opinion, that is not something done in temper, (temper would be giving the animal a swift kick and then thinking 'omg what have i just done?' a few seconds later).

i once read about a woman who slung their puppy over a balcony and made her daughter watch as a punishment for the child being naughty.

sick. i just cant stand anything like this.

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