CONVICTED (2015) | Paul Wenlock, born 22/06/1972, of Medway, Maldon CM9 – left his pet cat to suffer for months with a ‘de-gloved’ tail
Paul Wenlock admitted causing unnecessary suffering to tortoiseshell Lili when he appeared at Chelmsford Magistrates’ Court.
The RSPCA was called in August 2015 after Lili was found by a member of the public with a ‘de-gloved’ tail – a term used to describe where the skin had been ripped off the flesh.
It is believed she had been suffering with this untreated and very painful injury since she had been in a traffic accident several months before.
RSPCA inspector Caroline Richardson said: “Poor Lili was in great pain and is likely to have been in this state for several months. Her tail had no skin or fur – it was just one redraw wound. And she left a trail of blood behind her.
“The defendant had taken her to a vet with the injury in April and said a car had driven over the tail. Then he failed to take her back to the vet or treat the painful injury in any way”.
Lili recovered and was made available for rehoming.
Sentence: four-month suspended prison sentence; 200 hours’ unpaid work; £1,056.94 in costs and fines; banned from keeping cats for five years (expired November 2020).