People have slammed a "lenient" sentence for a woman who abandoned her cat and dog in her flat to starve to death.
On April 14 last year, Laura Tate's dog and cat were found decomposing in her city centre flat after her landlord had gone to evict her after complaints of the smell coming from the flat. Genghis, a black and white bull breed dog, and Tiggy, a long-haired ginger cat had likely been dead for several days at the Union Street flat, after being left without food or water.
Photos taken by the RSPCA show the flat covered in waste with litter and empty bags of pet food strewn on the floor, as well as the hole Genghis made in his desperation to get out of the filthy living room. They were discovered by an RSPCA inspector asked to attend the property, who said she "immediately" found the dead dog lying in the hallway.
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At a sentencing hearing at Liverpool Magistrates' Court on Monday (October 9), Tate, of McDonald Road in Coventry, was handed a 20-week prison sentence, suspended for 12 months. She had pleaded guilty to two offences contrary to the Animal Welfare Act 2006 at an earlier hearing in August following a prosecution by the RSPCA.
Tate was also disqualified from keeping any animals for ten years, given 20 Rehab activity requirement days and ordered to carry out 100 hours of unpaid work.
In mitigation, the court was told Tate had moved out to live with a friend but it was her intention to get her own place elsewhere and go back to retrieve her pets. She was said to feel an overwhelming sense of guilt for what had happened to Genghis and Tiggy and their deaths had "broken her heart".
The story has shocked readers, and many have slammed the "lenient" sentence for the horrific crime. On Facebook,Suzi Sioux said: "Oh my god. It doesn't bear thinking about what the poor cat and dog went through.
"How could anyone do that? What a cruel [person] she is and how lenient is that sentence? Absolute sick joke of a sentence."
Angie Pye said: "So sorry I just read this. Those poor animals, broke my heart to think of them."
Tony Swaine said: "Should have been jailed, too lenient a sentence for such a horrible crime."
Carol Dent said: "No pets for 10 years? It should be a lifetime ban, [I] don't care what was going on in her life. Those animals didn't have a chance."
Neil Davies said: "[She] should have had a long prison sentence."
Commenting on the ECHO website, one reader said: "What a pathetic excuse .. " I was staying at a friend's and was going to get my animals when I got my own place " she could of at least fed and watered the animals. I don't understand how they can apply a suspended sentence and should be a lifetime ban."
Another commenter said: "God bless those two beautiful animals, in a much better place now out of the horrific pain and suffering and away from that cruel, malicious monster because that is what she is..
"Sick to death of these poor animals suffering and the monsters that inflict such cruelty and neglect getting away with it time and time again."
One reader said: "A suspended sentence. The same thing keeps happening, because that is not a deterrent."
Another said: "Words are not enough for this type of crime. Absolute beast of a so called human."
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