Caerphilly Observer
Member Sign in Manage Membership
Become a Member - no ads
Menu
  • News
    • Senedd
    • Business
    • Newport
    • Opinion
  • Sport
    • Rugby union
    • Football
  • Membership & Subscriptions
  • Notices
  • Obituaries
  • About
    • Advertise
  • Sponsored Content
Menu

Graig-Y-Rhacca man jailed for killing and freezing kitten

News | Richard Gurner | Published: 10:54, Monday December 21st, 2009.
Last updated: 08:51, Wednesday June 9th, 2021

Cardiff Magistrates' Court.
Cardiff Magistrates' Court.

A 20-year-old Graig-Y-Rhacca man who abused and killed a kitten has been jailed for 16 weeks.

Joel White, of Longfellow Gardens, was sent to a young offender institution by Cardiff magistrates after strangling the ten-week-old kitten and putting it in a freezer.

He had denied causing unnecessary suffering but was convicted of animal cruelty at Cardiff Magistrates’ Court.

White’s girlfriend Joanne Bettridge, 42, who owned the kitten called Pepsi, told the court: “He snapped my kitten’s neck in front of me – he just wrung Pepsi’s neck.”

Ms Bettridge said she saw him throw the kitten against the curtain.

She said: “The claws were digging into the curtains. Then he put the kitten into the lampshade to see if it could do any tricks, then it fell down to the floor.

“There was hardly any movement, I thought his back was broken, he was crawling across the floor. Joel picked him up and I was crying my eyeballs out.

“Joel picked him up and wrapped him up in a pillow case and took him out of the room and put him into the freezer.”

After the trial, RSPCA inspector Nicola Johnson said: “Treating animals in this way is completely unacceptable and will not be tolerated. We are very happy with the sentence today and others should take notice – you will go to prison if you behave like this towards animals.”

White was also disqualified from owning or keeping an animal for ten years.

Amended December 28 to read Graig-Y-Rhacca instead of Machen.

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

You must be logged in to post a comment.

Latest News

  • Tristan Kerr and mum Claire
    ‘You are missed, and you will not be forgotten’Tuesday, February 10, 2026
  • How the proposed wind farm would look from Heol Tasker, Nelson
    Twyn Hywel wind farm secures government backing to move aheadTuesday, February 10, 2026
  • Fire crews tackle huge blaze at Pontllanfraith industrial estateTuesday, February 10, 2026
  • Gwent Police chief warns smaller forces could be swallowed up under national reformsMonday, February 9, 2026
  • Online hospital radio station YYFM getting ready to mark fifth anniversaryMonday, February 9, 2026
  • Newbridge Methodist Church, pictured in May 2021 before it closed
    Tesco wins bid for longer opening hours at proposed new Express storeMonday, February 9, 2026

Find out how the communities of Caerphilly County Borough get their names

Caerphilly

Legal & Public Notices

  • Caerphilly County Borough Council public noticesFriday, February 6, 2026
  • Caerphilly County Borough Council public noticesFriday, January 23, 2026
  • Notice of application for a variation of a premises licence: Morgan Jones Bowling ClubThursday, January 15, 2026
  • Caerphilly County Borough Council public noticesThursday, January 8, 2026
© 2009-2026 Caerphilly Media Ltd, Caerphilly Miners Centre for the Community Watford Road Caerphilly, CF83 1BJ. Incorporated in Wales No. 07604006.