Laughing yob who shut terrified cat in a tumble dryer and put it through three spin cycles for sick video facing jail

Allan Staughton trapped a cat in the tumble dryer for 12 seconds

Princess the cat suffered a broken tooth, a tongue injury and was left traumatised by the vicious prank

RSPCA launched a man hunt for the 23-year-old and have asked judges to place a ban on him keeping pets



Allan Staughton put his then girlfriend's cat into a tumble dryer

A cruel yob is facing jail after shutting his girlfriend's terrified cat in a tumble dryer and put it through three spin cycles because he thought it was funny.

Heartless Allan Staughton, 23, put the pet in the machine for 12 seconds and even filmed the animal's ordeal then posted a video of his vicious prank online.

During the video he can be heard joking the cat, called Princess, was 'the new Mr Tumble' and asked viewers to rate the disturbing YouTube video on a forum.

The RSPCA were alerted to the online video entitled 'You must see this - it will crack you up' and launched a man hunt for Staughton, who posted the sickening film under the alias Nitroazza.

They discovered Princess suffered a broken tooth and a tongue injury in the terrifying attack and has now been rehomed.

Sick Staughton is now facing up to six months in jail after admitting animal cruelty at Huntingdon Magistrates' Court.

The lout broke down in tears during the hearing on Tuesday after his internet anonymity was unmasked in the court.

Magistrates heard Staughton had been dumped by his lover of four-and-a-half years and thrown out of their home following the cruel stunt.

Robert Starr, prosecuting for the RSPCA, asked the bench to order a life-time ban on him keeping pets.

Staughton laughed as the cat, called Princess, was shoved in the tumble dryer and injured in the terrifying ordeal

Staughton trapped his girlfriend's terrified cat in the tumble dryer and put it through three spin cycles, because he thought it was funny

Princess suffered a broken tooth and a tongue injury in the ordeal and has now been rehomed

Sick Staughton admitted animal cruelty at Huntingdon Magistrates' Court

He said: 'The cat would have been very terrified and would have suffered mental and physical effects caused by the cat having no method of escape.

'The reason why Princess didn't move when the door was opened is because the incident would have left the cat in sheer terror, unbalanced and disorientated.

'It left the cat without any of its senses that you would attribute to a cat.

'This would have been compounded by the fact that it had no means of escape.'

Mr Starr said a vet examined the cat on July 6 and said it would have been disoriented and traumatised by its experience.

The prosecutor added that when Staughton was interviewed he had thought the incident was 'funny.'

He added: 'He accepted it was a disgusting thing to do.'

Klare Kennett, spokeswoman for RSPCA Cambridgeshire, yesterday said: 'This is a horrible thing to do to a cat.

'The animal will have suffered great trauma and a great deal of panic in that situation. It is totally unacceptable.'

The RSPCA were alerted to the online video entitled 'You must see this - it will crack you up' and launched a man hunt for Staughton

After the incident Staughton's relationship broke down with the mother of his child and the owner of Princess

Magistrates were shown the film of the cat, which has been removed from YouTube, being put into the machine as Staughton said it was going for 'a tumble'.

The dryer was then turned on with the cat spinning inside for 12 seconds before Staughton opened the door.

Even after the cat was on its back in the bottom of the machine with its legs in the door and meowing Staughton spun it twice more.

The RSPCA tracked down Staughton outside a pub in Godmanchester, Cambridgeshire, following the incident on June 14.

The court heard Princess the cat had belonged to Staughton's former partner of four-and -a-half-years who he has a two-and-a-half-year-old child with.

Magistrates were told Staughton's relationship had broken down over the incident and he had moved out.

Princess was taken to Wood Green Animal Shelter, in Godmanchester, where she was later re-homed.

Staughton, of Huntingdon, Cambridgeshire, admitted causing unnecessary suffering to the cat and sentence was adjourned for reports.

Kevin Warboys, mitigating, asked for reports on Staughton who suffered ADHD and a conduct disorder.

He said: 'Mr Staughton suffers from conduct disorder which he says means 'I just do things without thinking.'

'The idea arose from the cat often getting into the tumble dryer after it has been used, which my client believes is because it is warm.

'This case has had a devastating effect on him and he awaits with trepidation the sentencing of the court.'

Staughton will be sentenced on November 13.