From evidence of Joseph Woodland it appeared that defendants about nine o’clock on the day in question, held a cat, which they alleged had given them much trouble, before the fire, and singed it until it screamed and then let it go.

Thomas Feasey, gamekeeper, deposed to killing the cat on the 13th April, at the request of Mrs. Arnold, as it was suffering from severe injuries.

Emily Arnold, who resided next door to the defendant Powell’s house, stated that, on the 9th of April, she saw the cat run from defendant’s house into a stack of faggots, with its fur smoking. She afterwards caught the cat, which was a stray one, and on the following day it had kittens. It continued in great pain from the burns, and she therefore asked Feasy to kill it out of its misery.

The defendants were each fined £2 10s., or a month’s imprisonment.