‘Cat bin’ woman Mary Bale has pleaded guilty to causing unnecessary suffering to an animal after being caught on CCTV dumping a moggy into a wheelie bin.
The RSPCA charged Mary Bale after cameras caught her throwing four-year-old Lola into a bin outside her owners’ home in Coventry.
Bale, 45, pleaded guilty to causing unnecessary suffering to a cat. A charge of not providing the cat with a suitable environment was dropped.
The cat in a bin incident became headline news after the animal’s owners put a clip on Youtube calling for the grey-haired cat dumper to be identified.
National hysteria ensued with the general public baying for Mary Bale’s blood. A Facebook page calling for the cat bin woman’s death had to be removed.
Lola’s owners Darryl and Stephanie Mann said they were “stunned” by the public’s reaction and pleaded with people not to take matters into their own hands.
Today, Bale was fined £250 and told to pay court costs of £1,171. She was also banned from keeping or owning animals for the next five years.
Appearing close to tears, Bale said she asks herself on a daily basis why she put the cat in the bin and cannot give an answer. She added she has been suffering from depression.
District judge Caroline Goulborn told Bale: “The media interest in this case has resulted in you being vilified in some quarters and I have taken that into account.”
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