The defenceless animal lost its tail and suffered a horrific leg injury
Paul Thorpe dangled a cat over a fence towards the powerful jaws of a dog(Image: Hull Live)
A defenceless cat suffered horrific injuries after a “sadistic” ex-Royal Marine callously “dangled” the helpless pet over a fence and towards the head and powerful jaws of a dog. The dog was from a breed notorious for causing “serious injury or even death” but, just minutes before the ferocious attack, Paul Thorpe even asked its owner how his two dogs were with cats.
He picked up the cat out of possible “morbid curiosity” about what would happen – and during the attack, one of the cat’s hind legs was badly bitten down to the bone and its tail was bitten off, Hull Crown Court heard. Thorpe, 62, of Ashthorpe, Orchard Park estate, north Hull, admitted failing to prevent causing unnecessary suffering to a cat on November 5.
Marc Luxford, prosecuting, said that Thorpe was, at the time, a neighbour of a woman who owned a black cat, in Star Hill Road, Driffield. He picked up the cat while she was not there and he “quizzed” another neighbour, who owned two dogs, about how his dogs were with cats.
Thorpe “dangled” the cat over a fence into the garden of the man. He put the cat, in effect, on the head of one of the dogs. The dog attacked the cat, causing significant injury to one of its feet and to its tail.
Thorpe “seemed to gain some enjoyment” from what happened and he did nothing to intervene to stop the attack. There was a lack of any apparent guilt in his expression over failing to intervene.
The other man tried to intervene but the dog bit his hand. The cat suffered an injury right through to the bone of one of its legs and its tail was bitten off.
“The defendant failed to intervene once the dog started attacking the cat,” said Mr Luxford. It was “sadistic” behaviour by Thorpe that had caused a high level of pain and suffering and a “grave injury”.
During police interview, Thorpe admitted acting recklessly and he was apologetic about the injuries. He offered to pay any vet’s bills. He had convictions for three previous offences, including being jailed at Hull Crown Court in December 2009 for eight years for the “very serious” rape of a child, the court heard.
Holly Thompson, mitigating, said that Thorpe had not tried to minimise the seriousness of the incident. “This was a short-lived incident, one that caused an immense degree of harm,” said Miss Thompson.
“It was a momentary or brief lapse in judgement. This was entirely unacceptable conduct. The defendant has accepted that it was. He made admissions and apologised in full.
“His actions on this day can only be described as odd and without any real motive. There is certainly no precursor to the incident. There was no argument and there was not a negative relationship between him and his neighbours.
“He is an entirely nice guy and is friendly and helpful. He is entirely apologetic at his conduct and he did not, at the time, realise the severity of it. He was unable to come to terms with it and he buried his head in the sand.
“He has come to terms with it now. He acted largely out of character.” Thorpe had served in the Royal Marines but he was medically discharged in 1990. He had seen “atrocities” during his service.
Recorder David Kelly said that Thorpe might have been acting out of “morbid curiosity” in dangling the cat in front of the dog but he deliberately placed the cat in harm’s way. The dog was from a breed with a reputation for causing serious injury or even death, the court was told, although it was not specified.
Very serious injuries were caused to the cat’s hind leg and it lost its tail. The neighbour tried to rescue the cat from the dog’s jaws but he suffered lacerations to his hand. Thorpe showed “little remorse if any”. There were “suggestions of some sadism in what you did” in putting the cat over the fence.
Thorpe was given an eight-month suspended prison sentence and 15 days’ rehabilitation. He was ordered to pay £300 compensation to the cat owner and £300 to the man who was bitten.