Lancashire cat killer Jason Metcalfe jailed

A man who killed a cat on the street by swinging it against a brick wall has been jailed for 16 weeks.

Jason Metcalfe of Kenilworth Drive, Earby, Lancashire picked up the animal when it approached him and swung it head-first by its hind legs.

Metcalfe, 29, admitted animal cruelty and was sentenced at Burnley Crown Court.

The court heard that he was drunk at the time of the killing in Earby on 28 September 2010.

Metcalfe, who carried out the attack in front of a nine-year-old girl who was playing nearby, had received a suspended jail term for assaulting a friend just weeks before.

He was sentenced to a further 30 weeks in jail for activating the suspension.

The court was told that police had called at his home shortly after the cat died from severe head injuries and found Metcalfe was drunk and had blood stains on his clothing.

His barrister said that he was usually an animal lover and that Metcalf could not explain his actions.

Metcalfe was also banned from keeping animals for life.