A jilted boyfriend was found guilty of breaking into his ex-partner’s home and stealing her cat before harming it.
Glen Dempsey, 23, took the animal during the second of two burglaries at Shauna Robbins’ flat after she dumped him in October last year.
Dempsey, of Earle Road, Wavertree , then sent her videos of him showering the cat and closing a door on its head.
He was also alleged to have set fire to Miss Robbins’ property during a four-day trial at Liverpool Crown Court.
A jury found him guilty of two counts of burglary but not guilty of arson and arson recklessly endangering life.
Carmel Wilde, prosecuting, said the couple were in a relationship for six months and lived together in Brook Road, Walton.
When they split up Dempsey moved out and sent Miss Robbins text messages threatening to kill her brother and “slit her throat”.
He asked if he could come round to collect paperwork and refused the offer of it being dropped off by one of her friends.
When she said she was not at home, he replied: “I will just kick the door in then.”
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Miss Robbins left her flat and returned on November 3 to find the front door had been forced open.
The victim discovered her sofa, rug and coffee table had been damaged and found a knife and screwdriver.
Ms Wilde said Dempsey put inappropriate photographs of her on Facebook , which were later deleted, and sent further texts threatening to “cut her brother from ear to ear”.
Miss Robbins went away again and returned on November 7 to find her cat and some coursework missing.
Ms Wilde said: “The defendant then sent Miss Robbins further abusive messages and videos of the cat being mistreated by being locked in a bath and having a door closed on its head.”
Police were informed her flat had been set alight on November 8.
Dempsey was arrested on November 9 and police found Miss Robbins’ coursework at his home.
Neighbour Rafal Marko – who discovered and put out the blaze – said Dempsey asked to borrow a screwdriver from him on November 7 before going in the flat.
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Dempsey accepted sending the texts, but swore it was “the God’s honest truth” that he left the flat for good on October 28 and did not return.
However, during the trial he accepted that he had borrowed the screwdriver and gone in the flat.
He claimed Ms Robbins had given him permission to force his way in, when she sent him a text saying “you will have to break in then if you want your stuff”.
He said: “I didn’t burgle the house because I had permission to go to the house.”
Dempsey pleaded guilty to causing unnecessary suffering to an animal, but told the jury he did not mean to harm the cat.
He claimed he was just washing the pet and did not know cats were scared of water.
Dempsey said he admitted the charge “because it looks like I’m mistreating the cat”.
He also suggested that he didn’t mean to close the door on the cat’s head.
The defendant said: “When I was the closing the door, the cat’s head got stuck.”
Judge Elizabeth Nicholls adjourned sentencing until February 15 and remanded Dempsey in custody.
Source: http://www.liverpoolecho.co.uk/