CONVICTED (2022) | Kathleen Townley, born 12 March 1969, of Wellington House, Glebe Road, Downham Market PE38 9QN – failed to seek veterinary care for her injured cat.
Townley was charged alongside co-accused Mark Baylis of the same address, although he was cleared following a trial. Townley’s son Zach Townley, born 17 March 1999, of 14 Silver Green, Fairstead, King’s Lynn PE30 4SG, was charged with inflicting the injuries on the male tabby cat, Ozzy, but pleaded not guilty and the case against him was discontinued .
Townley pleaded guilty to failing to ensure Ozzy’s welfare. She pleaded not guilty to a second charge of attempting to kill the cat but this charge was also discontinued.
The court heard that RSPCA officers, acting on a tip-off about the cat, went to Townley and Baylis’s home on the morning of January 19, 2022.
Prosecutor Hugh Rowland said there were four other cats, two dogs and two corn snakes, all in apparent good condition.
After seeing Ozzy’s condition, the officers agreed with Townley that he would be signed over to the RSPCA.
Mr Rowland said: “When Inspector Kirby lifted Ozzy to place him in the cat basket, he tried to get away but couldn’t use his back legs properly.
“He was falling to one side and standing on his hocks and it was Inspector Kirby’s view that he needed to see a vet.”
The court heard that Ozzy’s apparent injury or disease was “readily observable”.
During Baylis’ trial, he admitted being jointly responsible for Ozzy but said he had denied the charge because his partner was the cat’s owner.
Baylis said he had noticed Ozzy limping “a day or two” before the RSPCA came and he intended to take him to the vet when he got paid that week.
Magistrates found Baylis not guilty, saying there was doubt over whether Ozzy needed urgent attention as the RSPCA had not examined him until the day after he was signed over to the charity.
During her sentencing hearing, Townley said she would have taken Ozzy to the vet’s but did not have enough money.
Her solicitor Ruth Johnson said: “I must stress that from the outset she has vehemently denied there was any mistreatment of the cat.”
The court heard that Townley had since rehomed all of her pets apart from two Chihuahuas.
Earlier in 2022 Zach Townley pleaded not guilty to causing unnecessary suffering to an animal, which related to inflicting a blunt force trauma and physical violence to Ozzy between January 1 and January 20, 2022.
The RSPCA also discontinued that case this week after offering no evidence.
The court heard that Ozzy’s condition improved with anti-inflammatory medicine and he has since been rehomed.
Sentencing | Townley was fined £80 and ordered to pay £100 costs and £34 victim surcharge.
