#MostEvil | Franky Jay Mills (aka Franky Webb), born 18/05/1997, with a most recent (2020) known address of Gloster Road, Woking GU22 9EU, but with links to Godalming and Farncombe- used a £5,000 air rifle to shoot at least eight pet cats, killing one and maiming others.
Injuries suffered by evil Franky Mills’ eight victims included lost eyes, an amputated leg and bisected spleen – and one of the animals died.
The court heard that Mills, a traveller, drove around the Cranleigh and Guildford area in March and April 2016, allowing another as yet unidentified person to shoot the cats with an air rifle.
Mills pleaded guilty to 14 charges, seven of which were offences of criminal damage valued at more than £5,000, relating to the cat attacks, and another seven counts of possessing a firearm – namely a 0.22 air rifle.
Mills’ defence barrister, Ian Wilkinson, said the teenager was an “extremely damaged man”, with his background being from the travelling community.
“Clearly what Mills was involved in was a horrible thing, we do not suggest anything otherwise,” he said.
“He inflicted pain on animals, and caused a great deal of distress emotionally, and financially. He is in no way able to change what he has done. An apology seems rather trifle at this time.
“The only way he can make amends is to lead a law abiding life, and not behave in such an appalling way in the future.”
He continued: “He felt peer pressure, wanting to be part of that group, part of the travelling community. He could have been braver, and said no, but he didn’t.”
Judge Jonathan Black said that he sentenced Mills on the fact that he was the person driving around the area, who “found a suitable target and stopped, allowing a passenger to shoot the cats – using his own air weapon”.
“This was a joint enterprise, you played a full part in injuring these animals,” he said.
The court heard no names of others who were involved in the shooting of the cats.
The judge continued: “You caused a high degree of suffering. One cat had its leg amputated, two had eyes removed, and one was put to sleep.
“These cats were much loved, children who had been brought up with them witnessed the injuries. They have been traumatised due to your cruel and callous behaviour.
“It’s clear yours was a difficult upbringing, but you have demonstrated you are someone capable of doing well in the future. Your start in life has not led you here today.”
Speaking after the sentence, Sergeant Paul Eden, who investigated the case, said Mills was not the only person involved in the shootings.
He said: “As officer in the case, seeing all the evidence, I firmly believe while he was the main protagonist, he was not the only person responsible in this joint enterprise.”
Sergeant Eden continued: “Franky Mills was the owner of the vehicle used at the time and it was definitely his air weapon.
“We managed to prove, we even had to exhume one of the cats to get the evidence where we extracted the pellet and matched to his rifle, so we could say beyond reasonable doubt that it was his gun which had been shooting these cats.
“He was driving around, and we believe, he stated, that he pulled up alongside and allowed his passengers to shoot it.
“So although he wasn’t claiming to be the trigger puller, clearly he must have known what his friends were doing because he was enabling it to happen by stopping the car providing the weapon and providing the ammunition.
“So to my mind and to the law it made him as guilty as the next person.”
Sentencing: 24 months’ imprisonment. No mention of a ban.
