A man, James Higginson, with a background of domestic violence and sexual assault, who murdered two of his girlfriend’s animals and viciously assaulted a third, wept when he was granted leniency from incarceration. British Justice, what a clown show.
James Higginson, 20, exited the courtroom with his mother before slumping against a bollard in tears upon receiving a suspended sentence.
The court was informed that James Higginson had developed an unreasonable aversion to ex-girlfriend Caitlin Morley’s cats, Tiggy, Sushi, and Chase, during their cohabitation, and subsequently assaulted them when she was at work.
A neighbour heard cries of agony from one of the cats as he exclaimed, ‘How do you like this foolish b***h?’
When Miss Morley confronted him, James Higginson consistently refuted her allegations of injuring her dogs.
Tiggy and Sushi passed away in the summer of 2023, while Chase was confiscated by the RSPCA after being brought to the veterinarian with facial swelling.
Both deceased felines were exhumed; however, their post-mortem investigations yielded unclear results. Experts suspect that their fatalities resulted from repeated blunt force trauma.
James Higginson, a chef from Weymouth, Dorset, wept in the dock of Bournemouth Crown Court as he received a sentence for three counts of inflicting needless pain on an animal.
He received a 15-month suspended prison term and was prohibited from possessing animals for 20 years.
The judge [CLOWN] refrained from imposing an immediate jail sentence, citing the defendant’s status as a ‘immature’ 18-year-old at the time of the acts, along with his ‘mental health issues,’ and noted that incarceration would inflict anguish upon his family.
Subsequently, Miss Morley, aged 20, expressed her revulsion at the judgement.
The court was informed that James Higginson had two convictions for six prior offences, including domestic violence against Miss Morley.
She stated, “I believe that individuals who inflict harm on animals should not be at liberty; it is abhorrent.
“His avoidance of incarceration demonstrates that individuals can act with impunity.
The court was informed that his campaign of cruelty towards Miss Morley’s pets by James Higginson persisted from March to September 2023.
Gregory Gordon, for the prosecution, stated: ‘The defendant relocated to the flat already inhabited by his partner, who possessed two cats, Tiggy and Sushi.
‘Both kittens perished due to the defendant’s actions, while the third kitten, Chase, sustained injuries and could have met a similar fate had it not been rescued.
The expert witness determined that the injuries incurred by Tiggy, Sushi, and Chase were intentional actions perpetrated against them.
In a particular occurrence, a neighbour perceived distressing sounds from a cat emanating from the defendant’s unit, accompanied by a male voice shouting, ‘How do you enjoy this, how does this feel, stupid bh, f**g stop it.’
Miss Morley discovered Tiggy deceased on June 6, 2023, and awoke to find Sushi deceased on August 12, 2023.
Three days later, she acquired Chase, and at the end of August, the ‘cycle’ commenced anew as she discovered the frightened cat concealed beneath a kitchen cupboard, exhibiting a lacerated eye and an inflamed visage.
She brought him to the veterinarian, who notified the RSPCA, resulting in Chase being removed for its protection.
James Higginson, having entered a guilty plea to the counts, is also had to remit £500 in costs.
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