A woman left her cats and dogs alone with no food for so long that one of them died and was eaten by the remaining starving animals.
Leanne McConnell admitted leaving the tabby cat, who she called “Fat S***”, with another cat and a dog in a home in Norris Green for weeks without enough food or water. McConnell appeared before Liverpool Magistrates’ Court on Thursday afternoon and admitted multiple counts of animal neglect.
Peter Mitchell, prosecuting for the RSPCA, said McConnell left the animals in late October last year and they were discovered the following month. The name of the cat which died was referenced in court documents as “Fat S***”.
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The other cat, a black and white cat called Tilly and a terrier called Chunk, both then ate parts of the animal’s body due to hunger. Mr Mitchell said “The cat died during that particular time and has been eaten because there was no other food to eat for the other animals.”
He said inspectors found the cat’s body, partially eaten. He described photos of the animals, not shown in court today, as “gruesome”. McConnell spoke to confirm her personal details and plead guilty to three counts of causing unnecessary suffering to a protected animal.
Toni Moran, defending, said McConnell had significant mental health issues and asked for a pre sentence report to be ordered. She said inspectors did reference there being some dry food in the Hollingbourne Road home McConnell was living in at the time of the offences but said that might prove to be of minimal importance to the case.
Referencing her mental health issues, magistrates sent her case to the Complex Case Court at Sefton Magistrates’ Court. McConnell, now of no fixed abode, will be sentenced there next month.
