CONVICTED (2022) | Paul Carrick, born 19 December 1979, previously of Gurlish West, Coundon. Bishop Auckland* – caught on camera viciously battering a cat multiple times against a wall before stamping on him repeatedly.

This horrific act of animal cruelty, which took place in December 2021, hasn’t yet made the papers and we don’t want to risk it going under the radar, so here’s what we know.

A neighbour was woken up to the sound of an animal in immense pain and distress and looked out her window to see Carrick attacking a terrified cat.

She ran downstairs immediately to confront Carrick, who told her that his girlfriend was pregnant and the cat was “spraying everywhere”. He claimed he had scared the cat away and denied killing him.

The woman couldn’t see any trace of the cat but spoke to another neighbour the next day, who provided her with CCTV footage showing exactly what had happened.

The witness saw Carrick take rolls of carpet away that same day and believes he may have hidden the cat’s body inside one of those.

Carrick, who works as a roads maintenance worker, appeared at Newton Aycliffe Magistrates on 25 August 2022 and was given a 23-week suspended prison sentence. He was ordered to carry out 150 hours of unpaid work and participate in a 30-day Rehabilitation Activity Requirement. He must pay a total of £2,452 in costs and victim surcharge. He was disqualified from keeping any animals for life.

Magistrates decided not to impose a custodial sentence after Carrick said he was a carer for his girlfriend who supposedly has mental health issues.

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Update 8 September 2022

BBC News have now covered the case here. It states that Carrick is now living in the village of Annfield Plain, County Durham.

County Durham and Darlington Magistrates’ Court was told RSPCA inspector Christine Nisbet went to an address in Gurlish Terrace, Coundon, after a complaint from a member of the public.

She was shown a copy of CCTV footage, taken from a security camera nearby, and when she went to his home “immediately recognised” him as the man in the film.

The inspector searched two wheelie bins in Carrick’s yard, and the yard of a neighbouring property, but could not find any trace of the cat.

However, a vet who was asked to review video clips from the footage said that it was “very likely” that the cat had died as a result of the attack.

Carrick admitted hitting the cat against a wall but denied stamping on it.

Magistrates heard a statement from the vet which said: “It can be clearly seen on the footage that [the cat] was slammed into a wall with considerable force and was thrown to the ground.

“Once the cat was on the ground we cannot see him, but given the man leans on the wall where the cat landed and stamps in the same position three times, disappears from view and reappears to stamp in the same place again I think it is reasonable to assume he was stamping on the cat.”

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Update October 2022

*According to an anonymous source Carrick is now living in Horden, Peterlee with his girlfriend, Gemma Gray (aka Jemima Doherty). He may also be found in Clavering Place, Annfield Plain, County Durham DH9 7XD, where his parents live.

The source alleges that his girlfriend was never pregnant. She is said to be a heavy cannabis user. Claims in court that he is a carer for her are allegedly false as he works away from home.

Carrick works as a site supervisor for groundworks companies all over the UK, but has recently been based mostly in Reading.

Carrick and his girlfriend have/had a couple of dogs, including a pug who died last year. The cause of the dog’s death isn’t known.