Teenager who hurled kitten to its death from 11th floor window of a tower block is spared jail



A teenage mother who hurled a kitten to its death from the 11th floor of a tower block has been spared jail.



Stacey Ravenall, 19, hit the four-month-old animal before throwing it out of the window, telling its owner: ‘You didn’t want it anyway.’



The kitten, named Cuwella, lay in agony on the ground below for 15 minutes before it died from internal bleeding.



Cruel: Stacey Ravenall leaving Birmingham Magistrates' Court after being charged by the RSPCA for flinging a kitten from a tower block in Stechford

Ravenall, who was pictured smirking and chatting on her mobile phone outside court, was sentenced to four months in custody suspended for two years after admitting a charge of animal cruelty.



She must also complete 30 hours of unpaid work.



Birmingham magistrates said that although her crime was serious enough to warrant custody, they accepted it had been an ‘impulsive act’.



Ravenall, from Yardley, Birmingham, was banned from keeping animals for ten years.



Nick Sutton, prosecuting, said the black and white cat belonged to Ravenall’s friend, Laura Edwards, who had lived with her for several months.

Sad: After being thrown from the 11th floor of this tower block the cat, Cuwella, continued to suffer for around 15 minutes before dying from internal bleeding



Last summer Miss Edwards went to stay with her parents in Redditch, Worcestershire, and Ravenall agreed to look after Cuwella.



Mr Sutton said Miss Edwards had phoned her friend every day to ask how her cat was and Ravenall told her it was ‘playing up’.



Miss Edwards then met up with Ravenall and they returned to the high-rise flat in the Stechford area of the city.



Miss Edwards told her friend she was considering taking the kitten to a sanctuary because she was unable to keep it and she wanted it to have a better home. Ravenall responded by hitting the animal and then throwing it into the hallway.

Interior: The window from which the cats was thrown at the Birmingham tower block The view: This image clearly shows the height from which the cat was hurled

Both then went into the hall where Ravenall picked up the cat again and pushed past Miss Edwards, going into the living room.



In a statement, Miss Edwards said: ‘It was miaowing. She walked to the living room window and just dropped Cuwella straight out of the window.’



When she asked Ravenall why she had done it, the defendant replied: ‘You did not want it anyway.’



Aftab Zahoor, defending, said Ravenall – who has one child and is now three months pregnant – had come from a broken home and spent her early years in care.



‘She finds it difficult to cope with life and has turned to alcohol to ease the pressure of life,’ he said.

‘She is disgusted with herself and her actions.’

RSPCA inspector Rob Hartley said: ‘This was cruel and callous behaviour towards a defenceless animal. The cat undoubtedly suffered a painful and traumatic death unnecessarily.’