Mary Bale, the Coventry woman who became globally infamous after being caught on CCTV dropping a cat into a wheelie bin in 2010, continues to be haunted by the incident 17 years later. The former bank worker, then 45, was fined £250 after admitting causing unnecessary suffering to the four-year-old tabby named Lola.
The incident, which lasted just seconds, was captured by a CCTV camera installed to deter vandals and uploaded to YouTube. It sparked a worldwide backlash, with thousands signing Facebook pages comparing Bale to Hitler and calling for her death. She received abusive phone calls and death threats from as far away as Australia.
In court, Bale's solicitor David Murray said she had 'very little recollection' of the event and could not explain her actions, which he described as a 'split second of misjudgment'. The court heard she was stressed and worried about her ill father, whom she visited daily in hospital, and would regularly stroke Lola on her walk home.
District Judge Caroline Goulborn acknowledged the 'vilification' Bale had suffered and accepted her remorse was genuine, sparing her the maximum penalty of six months in prison or a £20,000 fine. Bale was also ordered to pay costs totalling £1,436.04 and banned from keeping animals for five years.
Since the incident, Bale has resigned from her job after being signed off work for depression. Her father died shortly before the court hearing, and she now wishes to support her bereaved mother. However, her infamy persists, with onlookers still shouting comments as she leaves court.
