Woman who binned cat is fined £250

A FORMER bank worker who was vilified after being caught on CCTV dumping a cat into a wheelie bin was close to tears in court as she was fined £250 for causing unnecessary suffering to the animal.

Mary Bale, 45, from Coventry, became an international hate figure after being seen stroking the four-year-old tabby before picking it up by the scruff of its neck and dropping it in the bin.

As well as the fine she received a 15 victim surcharge and costs of 1,171. She was banned from keeping or owning animals for the next five years.

The court heard that her elderly father was gravely ill at the time and Bale, who could have faced a maximum fine of 20,000 or up to six month in prison, could not explain why she had acted in such an "impulsive and irrational" way.

District judge Caroline Goulborn said: "The media interest in this case has resulted in you being vilified in some quarters and I have taken that into account. I accept that you were in a stressful situation at the time, but that's no excuse for what you did."

Bale, whose father died in hospital last week after being in a serious condition following a fall, left the court without comment in a taxi which was surrounded by photographers.

Outside court, RSPCA Inspector Nicky Foster said: "The cat in this case has been extremely lucky to come out unharmed and with no lasting injuries.

"She (Bale] said in court that she doesn't know why she has done it, so she has no excuses.

"The magistrates have looked at the case and I think it's a very fair decision."

The court heard that the cat, named Lola, was trapped for around 15 hours overnight after being thrown into the bin in Coventry on 21 August

Earlier, Nick Sutton, prosecuting on behalf of the RSPCA, invited Miss Goulborn to watch footage of the incident on a lap-top computer.

Bale sat with her head bowed as Mr Sutton outlined the events in the film, including moments when she checked to ensure no-one was looking.

After the footage ended, Mr Sutton told Miss Goulborn: "That in essence is the case.

"The defendant lives three streets away, a relatively short distance, from the home of the owners of the cat, who were not known to her."

Lola's owners had only found the cat the following morning when they heard her crying.She was in a distressed state, but has now been rehabilitated and suffered no lasting injuries.

David Murray, defending, said: "The court will of course be concerned about why this matter happened. Miss Bale daily, almost hourly, for the past two months has asked herself that very question."

He said she had been suffering from anxiety and depression and had resigned from her job with RBS after 27 years' service.

Mr Murray added: "Despite a lengthy period of soul-searching she still cannot explain her behaviour and wishes to again repeat her apology to the owners of Lola.

"For a moment's aberration she has paid a significant price. She has received hate-mail, abusive telephone messages and death threats."

Bale pleaded guilty at Coventry Magistrates' Court yesterday to causing unnecessary suffering.