Kitten-killer facing health time bomb has sentenced axed

A TEENAGER who received death threats after he microwaved a kitten at a party has had his sentence revoked after being diagnosed with a serious genetic disorder.

Declan Baker, 19, stuck the ten-week-old kitten in the microwave for about 20 seconds as a drunken prank.

The community service order he received for the offence has now been revoked following his diagnosis.

Baker, originally from Forfar, Angus, was spotted by one of his friends who grabbed the animal and hauled it to safety.

But by that time the cat was convulsing and struggling to breathe and had to be put down a week later, in October 2008.

Baker – who had two cats of his own at the time – was handed two years' probation, fined 150 and ordered to carry out 120 hours of community service in February last year.

He was also forced to flee south after receiving death threats from animal rights' activitists.

Last night it emerged that Baker's remaining community sentence order had been revoked after he was struck down by a rare genetic disorder.

He appeared at Forfar Sheriff Court on Thursday using a walking stick where it was revealed that the condition – which affects his heart, eyes and lungs – had killed his grandfather at 30.

His defence lawyer Brian Bell informed Sheriff Kevin Veal he was medically not able to undertake community work.

He said: "Medically, Mr Baker is not in a position to carry out the unpaid work element of the sentence imposed on him.

"He has a serious condition, a genetic disorder which creates difficulty with his heart, eyes, and in particular for Mr Baker, his legs.

"His grandfather died at the age of 30 from a heart condition with this genetic disorder, while his mother also suffers from it."

Sheriff Veal opted to wipe the remaining community service order from his sentence as he was not "physically fit" – although his probation order still stands.

"I will delete the community service aspect because of the emergence of facts that were unknown to any of us," he said.

Baker cooked the pet while drunk at a party in his hometown in October 2008.

The kitten was left in severe pain and had swelling on its legs. It was in so much discomfort and distress it was reluctant to move.

After six days of treatment, the skin on its back legs had begun to rot, and the vet decided the most humane thing would be to destroy the animal.

Baker appeared for sentencing at Forfar Sheriff Court in February last year where Sheriff Veal said he was considering sending Baker, who admitted having been an "idiot", to prison.

But instead the teenager was ordered to get rid of his two cats and banned from keeping any animals for seven years.

He was ordered to attend anger management and alcohol and drug counselling.

At the time the kitten's owner Jacqueline Ross, 44, called the sentence "pathetic".

Her cat had recently given birth to a litter of kittens, which were being kept in the kitchen, when Baker took one of them.

She said: "It's nowhere near enough. That kitten wouldn't have hurt a fly. Kevin should have been sent to jail.

"Counselling is not going to help him. He's a total waste of space."

Baker was forced to close down his page on networking site Bebo after animal lovers found it and flooded it with abusive messages.

He also had threatening and abusive letters sent to his home before deciding to flee to England.