Bank clerk 'who dumped cat in wheelie bin' charged with animal cruelty



A woman who sparked international outrage after allegedly dumping a cat into a wheelie bin was today charged with animal cruelty.

Mary Bale, 45, hit headlines after she was apparently caught on CCTV stroking four-year-old tabby Lola before throwing her into a bin.

The cat was believed to have been trapped for 15 hours before her owners Stephanie Andrews-Mann, 24, and husband Darryl, 26, found her the following morning.

Charges: Mary Bale is accused of causing unnecessary suffering to a cat and not providing an animal with a suitable environment

Miss Bale, a bank clerk, has now been charged with two animal cruelty offences by the Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (RSPCA).

She will appear before Coventry Magistrates Court next month accused of causing unnecessary suffering to a cat and not providing an animal with a suitable environment.

Both offences, which come under the Animal Welfare Act, can carry a prison sentence and a lifetime ban from keeping animals.

RSPCA spokeswoman Judith Haw said: 'The RSPCA has taken the case to court as two alleged offences have been committed: of causing unnecessary suffering to a cat and of not providing the animal with a suitable environment.



'As criminal proceedings are now active the RSPCA will not be issuing any further statements or completing interview requests until conclusion of the court case.'

CCTV footage of the alleged incident in which a woman apparently grabbed the cat, threw her into a wheelie bin, slammed the lid shut and appeared to walk away was posted on the internet.

The offender was allegedly identified within a matter of days.



Miss Bale will appear in court on October 19.