Cat bin woman charged with animal cruelty
Mary Bale, the woman who sparked international outrage after dumping a cat into a wheelie bin, has been charged with animal cruelty.
Published: 2:36PM BST 20 Sep 2010
Mrs Bale, 45, was caught on CCTV stroking the four-year-old cat Lola before throwing her into a bin. The terrified animal was trapped for 15 hours before her owners Stephanie Andrews-Mann, 24, and husband Darryl, 26, finally found her the following morning.
Mrs Bale, who was signed off sick from her work as a bank clerk in the wake of the incident, has been charged with two animal cruelty offences by the Royal Society for the Protection and Care of Animals (RSPCA). She will appear before Coventry Magistrates Court next month accused of causing unnecessary suffering to a cat and not providing an animal with a suitable environment.
RSPCA spokeswoman Judith Haw said: ''Mary Elizabeth Bale from St Michaels Road in Coventry is due to appear before Coventry Magistrates Court on Tuesday 19 October at 10am to face two criminal charges, contrary to the Animal Welfare Act 2006. ''The RSPCA has taken the case to court as two alleged offences have been committed; of causing unnecessary suffering to a cat and of not providing the animal with a suitable environment.
''Mrs Bale was witnessed on CCTV footage stroking a cat, then looking round and picking the cat up by the scruff of its neck before putting it in a wheelie bin, shutting the lid and walking away from the scene. At no point did she return. ''The cat was trapped in the bin for approximately 15 hours. ''As criminal proceedings are now active the RSPCA will not be issuing any further statements or completing interview requests until conclusion of the court case.'' Mrs Bale was caught when the cat's owners Darryl and Stephanie Andrews-Mann reviewed CCTV after finding the animal in the bin.
They posted the 1:27 video online in a bid to track down the culprit and Mrs Bale was identified within a matter of days. She will now appear before magistrates in Coventry on October 19th faced with causing unnecessary suffering to a cat and of not providing the animal with a suitable environment. The RSPCA confirmed that offences under the Animal Welfare Act can carry a prison sentence and lifetime ban from keeping animals.
