Cat killer Amos Price jailed over dog's savage mauling of pet

In CCTV footage, Amos Price, 30 , was seen dragging his dog towards the white and black cat sitting on a garden wall in Walsall.

Before letting go of the lurcher's collar, he looked around to check he was not being watched and pulled his hood up over his baseball cap.

On being freed, the dog leapt up and pulled the terrified cat, called Cleo, off the wall with his teeth and savaged her to death.

WATCH: CCTV appeal helped catch cat killer

The father-of-two was arrested after video footage of the attack in Woodlands Crescent, Pelsall, on October 23 was released by police.

He and his family have since been the target of death threats, Walsall magistrates heard.

When his cat failed to return home the following day, Gary Truefitt checked his security camera and was horrified to discover the fate of his long-time companion, said Ms Helen Shipley, prosecuting.

He had gone to bed at 9.50pm, an hour before the attack, and was surprised not to find Cleo on his bed the next morning when he got up for work, the court heard.

He noticed she had not touched her food and was nowhere to be found in the flat.

When the cat had still not returned that evening, he checked his CCTV camera for clues and saw Price come into view at 10.50pm as Cleo sat on the garden wall by his front door.

Pulling the dog on a lead and holding a large torch in the other, he opened Mr Truefitt's gate and positioned the dog in front of the cat before letting her of the lead.

Price returned later looking for his dog and eventually found her wandering loose in the street, the court heard.

'A large part of my life is missing'

Mr Truefitt, who went to a neighbour's house and called the police, said he had suffered sleepless nights since the attack.

He told officers: "My cat would always be there in the morning and now she's gone. I don't want to go home because she's not there. I feel like a large part of my life is missing."

Price, arrested after a huge response to the CCTV footage, told officers he had been planning to turn himself in after he and his family had received threats, including death threats.

He added: "I just want to get this sorted out. I'm done with looking over my shoulder."

The defendant, who was last before the courts for criminal damage, making threats and assault in January last year, had broken the terms of his licence and was being recalled, said Ms Shipley.

Price, of Trevor Road, Pelsall, pleaded guilty to causing unnecessary cruelty to a protected animal.

Defending him, Mr Mandeep Sehmi, said Price had been intoxicated and would never have committed such an appalling attack had he been sober.

"He is extremely ashamed and sorry for his actions and takes full responsibility for what he did," he added.

Passing sentence, Mr Brian Benton, chairman of the magistrates, who imposed the maximum sentence given Price's guilty plea, said he would have jailed him for longer if he had not been restricted by the law.

Price was also ordered to pay £250 compensation to Mr Truefitt and a £122 victim surcharge to the court, and was disqualified for life from keeping an animal.