[Ammi]

A cat owner fought to save his pet's life after a neighbour tried to hang it in his shed to 'teach it a lesson' for soiling in his garden.

Karl Dyke, 52, wrapped a slip knot noose around the throat of three-year-old female Siamese Coralie before attempting to hang her in July.

Owners Michael and Tracey Lawrence heard their cat meowing in distress and rushed out to find her


When Mr Lawrence went round to Dyke's shed in Redhill, Hereford, he was shocked when he saw his neighbour holding the rope with Coralie dangling from it.

Hereford Magistrates' Court heard Mr Lawrence and Dyke grappled and the cat managed to escape.

The petrified puss ran away with the noose still attached to her neck and was found shaking in fear underneath a car

Mr and Mrs Lawrence, aged 43 and 31 respectively, rushed the moggy to Belmont Vets in Hereford where she was found to have multiple neck injuries.

She also suffered soft tissue damage to her neck and had a small cut on her lower lip.

Mr Lawrence told the court that when he opened the door to the shed he found Dyke hanging the cat from a rope

He said: 'The cat's face was contorted and it looked moments from death. I was shocked, I just couldn't believe it. He had a smile on his face while doing it.'

Dyke told the court he hanged the cat to 'teach her a lesson' because she kept going to the toilet in his garden.

He said he had intended to suspend the cat from a table in his shed 'for a few hours' before releasing it when he went to bed.

Dyke admitted causing unnecessary suffering to an animal when he appeared before JPs saying it was a 'very foolish thing to do' but denied trying to kill the cat.

Magistrates rejected this and Dyke was warned he would be sentenced accordingly.

Chairman of the bench Roger Phillips told him: 'We are sure he was trying to kill the cat and will sentence on that basis.'

Dyke was released on conditional bail and was ordered to return to court next week for sentencing


http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/arti...et-garden.html