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Gardener Drowns Neighbour's Cat For 'Ruining' His Vegetables

Gardener Drowns Neighbour's Cat For 'Ruining' His Vegetables

Richard Giles freely admitted drowning the cat but has shown no remorse, according to the animal's owner

Tom Wood

Tom Wood

A gardener is currently awaiting sentencing after he drowned his neighbour's cat because it kept digging up his garden and 'ruining' his vegetable plot.

Sixty-nine-year-old Richard Giles took the tabby cat - called Ruby - and drowned her in water because she kept on entering his vegetable plot and digging up carrots and leeks.

He claims the cat was 'ruining' his crops, and that's why he drowned her.

The owner of the deceased cat, Shirley Gear-Evans, spent two days looking for her beloved pet before she confronted Giles.

She claims that he has never apologised for the killing of Ruby.

BNPS

Giles, for his part, has admitted to the charge of causing unnecessary suffering to a protected animal, but argues that he was 'driven to it' by the cat constantly coming into his garden and destroying his vegetable patch.

Gear-Evans, 65, says that Giles freely owned up to the crime and has shown no remorse and offered no apology for his actions.

This incident quickly became the talk of the town - well, hamlet - in Adber, near to Sherbourne.

The rest of the residents are said to be 'sickened' by Giles' actions, with one even calling him a 'disturbed b*****d'.

Animal rights organisation PETA has also weighed in, asking for the judge to pass as hefty a sentence as possible against Giles when he returns to the court next month.

BNPS

Gear-Evans said: "I got Ruby as a rescue cat in January last year, a few weeks after I moved to the village.

"I kept her in the house for a few weeks so she could get used to her new home but soon she was outside exploring the fields around the house.

"Richard introduced himself and at first we got along, but as soon as I said I was getting a cat he went mad.

"He was very unpleasant. He told me, 'You know I don't like cats, how dare you?'"

BNPS

She continued: "He was absolutely furious. Our relationship quickly soured after that and he would call me, complaining about Ruby.

"Ruby went missing in September and I was outside looking for her on Saturday night and on the Sunday.

"I was worried she might have gone into Richard's farm and become trapped or hurt herself.

"When I saw him on the Monday, I asked him if he had seen her and he made no bones about killing her.

"I was horrified - he admitted killing her as soon as I asked him. He said, 'You won't find her, she's gone, I've killed her.'

"He showed no remorse, I think he drowned her in one of his water drums on his farm.

"But he's never apologised, I don't think he's sorry. He doesn't care.

"I never saw Ruby again, I have no idea what he did with her body."

Matthew Knight, from the RSPCA, told the court: "He drowned his neighbour's cat.

"Because the offence was so serious I recommend a starting option of custody."

The incident occurred in the Dorset hamlet of Adber.
BNPS

Elisa Allen, director of PETA, added: "The fear and pain this cat endured at this man's hands is deeply disturbing, and he must be deeply disturbed.

"Anyone who causes such agony and inflicts this degree of violence on an animal poses a risk to the entire community.

"PETA implores Weymouth Magistrates' Court to impose the maximum sentence, including a lifetime ban on keeping animals."

Giles will appear next at Weymouth Magistrates Court for a pre-sentencing report on 6 April.

Featured Image Credit: BNPS

Topics: UK News, Cat, Weird, Animals