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Couple stole neighbour's cat that chased birds By Sam Lister (The Times, London)
A COUPLE who could not bear seeing birds chased by their neighbour’s cat took revenge by abducting the pet and releasing it into the wild, a court was told yesterday. Seven weeks after John and Jane Reid trapped the tortoiseshell cat in a cage in their back garden, she was discovered bedraggled and malnourished 12 miles away. The couple, who have put their house up for sale after being ostracised by the local community in Tresillian, Cornwall (UK), yesterday appeared in court charged with maltreating the animal. Mr Reid, 70, and his wife, 51, deny causing unnecessary suffering to the tortoiseshell, Sophie, abandoning the three-year-old cat and transporting her in a manner that could cause injury. Bodmin Magistrates’ Court was told how a trap was spotted in the Reids’ garden by a relative of Cheryl Chatterton after she asked friends to help in the hunt for her cat last November. Following an investigation by an RSPCA inspector, the Reids, who are originally from Canada, went voluntarily to police and confessed to stealing the cat. They were formally cautioned. Five weeks later Sophie was found by RSPCA officers after residents of the village of Sticker reported sightings. Sophie had lost 2lb, had a swollen nose and had lost the hair on the back of her ears. Ms Chatterton, 43, a civil servant, said that suspicions first arose over the Reids’ involvement in Sophie’s disappearance after they declined to help in the search for Sophie. “Most of the neighbours were very helpful,” Ms Chatterton said. “They would go and check in their garages and sheds for Sophie. But the Reids just didn’ t want to know. They just complained that they had seen her going after the birds. “I went out every day looking for her, sometimes two or three times,” she said. “I traipsed around for miles. It completely took over my life.” Describing the Reids’ behaviour as “totally extreme”, Ms Chatterton said: “There are often ways to protect birds. They could have come to speak to me and tell me that’s she’s a nuisance with the birds. We could have put a collar with a bell on her.” Following their police caution, the Reids are facing further charges brought by the RSPCA. A review is to be held on May 21. Last night their solicitor, Rob Ecclestone, claimed that there had been an abuse of process as the couple should not be charged again for the same incident.
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