Pair sentenced after abusing kitten to death

Two people have been sentenced after a kitten in their care died from multiple injuries.

The six‑month‑old pet was taken to a vet in Grimsby on 2 February 2024 after it reportedly coughed up blood, suffered a fit and collapsed.

Luke Wilcock, 26, was jailed at Grimsby Crown Court for three and a half years on Friday, while his co-defendant Morgan Hawksworth, 22, was handed a 26‑week prison sentence suspended for 12 months at the magistrates' court on 7 May.

The RSPCA said the kitten, called Stirling, suffered "a catalogue of injuries" from at least three separate incidents of physical abuse.

Ch Insp Tom Hutton, from the charity, said: "The actions in this case were of astonishing cruelty to a defenceless animal.

"It is heartbreaking as Stirling was so young when he died and he had to endure such unnecessary pain and suffering during this short life."

The RSPCA said Wilcock initially called the vet for advice and when he took the kitten in for emergency assessment, the pet was "already dead with a copious amount of blood present at the mouth" and rib injuries.

But suspicion was raised after records showed the cat had previously been treated in November 2023 for injuries reportedly caused by a fall, and the case was then referred to the RSPCA.

A post‑mortem examination found repeated trauma including multiple fractures sustained over different time periods.

There was also evidence of attempts to suffocate the cat "via a mechanism of smothering", the charity said.

A spokesperson said the court heard Wilcock had "health issues and was immature".

The pair, of Sherwood Road, Grimsby, both denied causing unnecessary suffering to a protected animal in May 2025.

But they were convicted in December - Wilcock of two counts and Hawksworth of one charge.

Wilcock was also handed a lifetime ban on owning and keeping all animals, while Hawksworth was given a 10-year disqualification order.

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