A Stratford, Ontario teen who was arrested earlier this year and convicted of animal cruelty will possibly be spending time in jail after breaching terms ordered by a judge. The teen will go back to court in January after breaking a court order not to have or live with animals
Austin English, 19, posted a video on social media of an adult male cat being thrown, pushed, squeezed and verbally berated, according to an article posted by the Stratford Beacon Herald. The cat wasn’t physically injured but was traumatized by the abuse. English has pleaded guilty of one count of breaching a prohibition order.
The Stratford teen, who was 18 at the time of the abuse in May 2019, was already on probation for a previous conviction of a violent offense. He was convicted in August and ordered not to have or live with animals for five years.
Police were alerted that English was at the Rosecourt Motel after being alerted he had a cat with him. Police arrived at the Stratford motel room to find two felines in the room-one being the same cat he posted in the cruelty video that went viral.
Perth County Crown attorney Nicole Redgate stated during an interview with Stratford Beacon Herald that
“Police then observed a cat dish on the floor in the bathroom and, while speaking with Mr. English, two cats – a large black cat and a white cat – came out from under one of the beds. Of interest, the white cat was the subject of the guilty plea on Aug. 7.”
The cats were unharmed and taken to the local humane society after English told them someone had dropped off the cats and he didn’t want them there.
Sentencing will take place on January 6, where it will be up to Justice Kathryn McKerlie as to the fate of this abuser after a pre-sentence report is updated. A second charge of failing to comply was withdrawn.
Not only has English been ordered not to be around animals for five years and on probation for two years, he was also placed on a two-year rare stipulation which prevents him from live streaming anything on social media.
English is a free man until the January court appearance. Back in May, the Crown asked for a jail sentence of between 60 and 90 days. The judge reduced this for two orders (probation and no contact with animals) and a $750 fine.
