Man who lured two cats to eat poisoned food, causing their deaths, handed suspended sentence

A Bargoed man who poisoned his neighbours’ cats has been handed a suspended prison sentence.

Tristian Pearson, 44, of West Street, Bargoed, admitted causing the deaths of two cats living nearby by leaving bowls of poisoned food in his garden in September 2021.

He appeared at Cardiff Crown Court on August 5, where he was given a eight-month prison sentence, suspended for 18 months. He was also ordered to do 150 hours of unpaid work and pay £2,000 court costs.

Alongside this, he was banned from owning animals for five years – a ban he is not allowed to appeal for at least four years.

The poisoning

Pearson mixed ethylene glycol – a substance highly poisonous to cats – with tuna and left it in two pots in his back garden.

Two cats – Bailey and Luna – both ate the poison, which led to their deaths.

The cats belonged to a father and daughter who lived in two separate properties near Pearson’s home. Three young children, aged eight, five and 18 months, all lived in the same property as one of the cats.

Veterinary reports provided to the court confirmed the cat’s kidneys were consistent with ethylene glycol poisoning.

Persian cat Bailey’s owner reported the feline becoming unwell on September 3 last year, appearing weak and wobbly. Unfortunately, Bailey died before he was able to see a vet.

On September 7, Luna returned home appearing wobbly on her back legs. As her symptoms got worse, vets found her heart rate was high and her muscles were twitchy. It was confirmed she had kidney failure and she had to be put down.

After the cat’s deaths, the owners, noticed two pots in Pearson’s garden – one containing a bright blue liquid and the other food mix, including meat. These were retrieved and passed onto the RPSCA.

Some of the meat found in one of the pots was also found in the garden of Luna’s owner – with tests showing a high concentration of poison in the meat.

The vet statement said the effects of ethylene glycol poisoning cause a cat to suffer with dehydration, headaches, nausea, disorientation, weakness and collapse.

“Landmark case”

Pearson pleaded guilty at Cwmbran Magistrate’s Court before being passed to Cardiff Crown Court for sentencing.

According to the RSPCA, this is the first time a case has been dealt with in this way, following the introduction of the Animal Welfare (Sentencing) Act last year.

Previously, the maximum sentence a magistrate could give for animal welfare offences was six months in prison – but this has now been increased to five years.

Speaking after the hearing, RSPCA inspector Simon Evans, who investigated, said: “These poor cats were deliberately tempted into digesting a substance that is incredibly dangerous for cats and ultimately proved fatal to them both. 

“We hope this shocking, landmark case sends a clear message to anyone thinking of targeting cats in this way – this is wrong, illegal and will not be tolerated.” 

Inspector Evans continued: “Vomiting, a depressed or sleepy demeanour, appearing drunk or uncoordinated, seizures, and breathing difficulties could all be symptoms of a cat being poisoned. 

“Anyone fearing their cat may have been poisoned should try and remain calm, move the cat away from the source and contact a vet straight away. 

“Potentially hazardous substances – like antifreeze – should also be used and stored responsibly, and safely away from curious felines.”