CONVICTED (2017) | Joanne ‘Jojo’ Brown, born 8 May 1984, most recent known address (2018) Winterburn Green, Offerton Estate, Stockport SK2 5PG – abandoned her cat in an empty house for five weeks
Brown was sentenced at Stockport Magistrates’ Court on Thursday 21 December 2017. She pleaded guilty to causing unnecessary suffering to the cat, known as Tinkerbell, at an earlier hearing.
The court heard that Tinkerbell was rescued from a house in Primrose Avenue, in Marple, Stockport, by a neighbour and a member of Brown’s family who became concerned for the cat’s welfare.
Tinkerbell was unresponsive and was covered in scabs and sores. She was taken to the RSPCA’s Greater Manchester Hospital, where staff worked tirelessly to save her life.
RSPCA inspector Heather Morris, who investigated, said: “Tinkerbell was extremely emaciated, dehydrated and anaemic – she was at death’s door. If she’d been in that house for another 24 hours she would have died.
“Tinkerbell had been abandoned for five weeks inside a house which was covered in faeces. There was no food for her so we can only assume that she spent weeks scavenging for food in the property.
“It really was touch-and-go as to whether she would survive, but she slowly started to improve after a month. It was a long process but she has recovered very well and has since been happily rehomed.”
Sentence: 12-month conditional discharge, ordered to pay £250 costs and a £20 victim surcharge.
Source: RSPCA News (article removed)
2019 Update
Joanne Brown has a new kitten – pictured.
Unfortunately, despite proving herself entirely incapable of caring for animals, she was never banned from keeping them.
Brown works as a barmaid in a Hazel Grove pub.