A man has been given a suspended prison sentence after admitting to poisoning his neighbours' cats in a dispute over garden boundaries. Tristian Paul Pearson, 44, from Bargoed in south Wales, targeted the family pets Luna and Bailey, luring them with food laced with ethylene glycol, a highly toxic substance.
The poisonings occurred in early September 2021, with both cats returning home unwell within a week of each other. Bailey, a male Persian, died before he could be seen by a vet, while Luna, who suffered kidney failure, had to be put down to prevent further suffering. Their owners, a father and daughter living near Pearson, discovered two pots in his garden containing a bright blue liquid and tuna, later found to have high concentrations of ethylene glycol.
At Cardiff Crown Court on Friday, Pearson pleaded guilty to causing unnecessary suffering to protected animals. He received an eight-month prison sentence suspended for 18 months, was ordered to complete 150 hours of unpaid work, and was disqualified from keeping animals for five years. He must also pay £2,000 in costs.
RSPCA inspector Simon Evans described the case as shocking, noting that the cats were deliberately tempted with a dangerous substance. The RSPCA believes this is the first case referred to a crown court since the Animal Welfare (Sentencing) Act 2021, which increased the maximum sentence for such offences from six months to five years.
