Latest news with #sadistictorture
The Guardian
04-08-2025
- The Guardian
Two teenagers detained over ‘sadistic' torture and killing of two kittens in London
Two teenagers have been detained for the 'sadistic' torture and killing of two kittens found cut open and hung in a wooded area in London. A 17-year-old boy, who said he had dreamed of killing a human, butchered a small black kitten and hung it with rope near Ruislip, in the north-west of the capital, in May this year. District judge Hina Rai said the killings were 'without a doubt the most awful offences against animals I have seen in this court'. The judge said the boy's actions were 'extensively planned' and 'clearly premeditated', and told him that he had seemingly attacked kittens because 'they have emotion and you would have power over them'. The judge continued: 'You said sorry in your [police] interview but reports also show that you struggle to show empathy and realise that the kittens would suffer.' The boy, who cannot be named because of his age, had spoken of his desire to 'get away with murder', a hearing at London's Highbury Corner magistrates court was told on Monday. Notes on his phone read: 'I really wanted to murder someone. Every day I was researching how to get way with murder. 'I have come close. I have killed cats to reduce my urges. I have skinned, strangled and stabbed cats.' The teenager, along with a 17-year-old girl, pleaded guilty to causing unnecessary suffering to the protected animals by mutilating and killing them. The pair also each admitted one count of possession of a knife at Ruislip Golf Course. There was no reaction from the boy as he stood in the dock and was handed a 12-month detention and training order. The girl, who also cannot be named, was sentenced to nine months in custody. Valerie Benjamin, prosecuting, told the court the boy's 'sadistic' actions 'showed a degree of planning' in looking for animals, researching how to kill them and his 'desire to go on to killing humans and how it would be to get away with murder and killing a homeless person'. A month after their arrest, the pair were reported missing and were found at a bus stop with a bag containing clothes, toiletries and tins of tuna, the Metropolitan police said. The boy admitted his role in the animal cruelty during his police interview, Benjamin said. He had no previous convictions. She added: 'He gave a prepared statement saying he was sorry for what he had done and took responsibility saying he was in a bad state of mind. 'He said he suffered depression, anxiety, hallucinations and self-harm.'
Telegraph
04-08-2025
- Telegraph
Boy, 17, tortured kittens ‘to reduce urge to murder people'
A 17-year-old boy has been detained for the 'sadistic' torture and killing of two kittens found mutilated in a wooded area in north-west London. A court was told the teenager wrote in notes found on his phone that he wanted to murder a human, and that he had killed cats, skinning, strangling and stabbing them, to reduce his homicidal urges. He showed no reaction as was sentenced, and a judge told him the killings were 'without a doubt the most awful offences against animals I have seen in this court'. At Highbury Corner magistrates' court, district judge Hina Rai sentenced him to a 12-month detention and training order. The court heard the teenager had also dreamed of killing a person and 'getting away with murder'. The kittens were found cut open with ropes attached to them near Ickenham Road, Ruislip, on May 3. Knives, blowtorches and scissors were also found at the scene. 'Something horrific down there' A member of the public who found them warned another passer-by not to go down the footpath because 'there is something horrific down there'. Earlier a passer-by had seen the boy holding a black animal carrier with netting at the end which was 'moving slightly as if something live was inside it', the court heard. The boy, along with a 17-year-old girl, who cannot be named for legal reasons, previously pleaded guilty to causing unnecessary suffering to the animals by mutilating and killing them. The pair also each admitted one count of possession of a knife at Ruislip Golf Course. The girl has yet to be sentenced. Judge Rai told the boy that his actions were 'extensively planned' and 'clearly premeditated'. She told him: 'You said sorry in your (police) interview but reports also show that you struggle to show empathy and realise that the kittens would suffer. 'It seems you chose the kittens because they have emotion and you would have power over them.' Killer researched 'killing a homeless person' The court was told the youth wrote in notes on his phone: 'I really wanted to murder someone. Every day I was researching how to get way with murder. 'I have come close. I have killed cats to reduce my urges. I have skinned, strangled and stabbed cats.' The boy, who the court was told may have undiagnosed ADHD and autism, had no previous convictions. Valerie Benjamin, prosecuting, told the court the boy's actions 'showed a degree of planning in terms of looking for animals and researching in terms of killing animals and his desire to go on to killing humans and how it would be to get away with murder and killing a homeless person'. His horrific crimes were not 'spur of the moment' but involved planning in 'finding the animals, taking them to a public place and killing them in such a sadistic manner'. Ms Benjamin told the court he gave police a prepared statement saying he was sorry for what he had done and took responsibility, adding: ' He said he suffered depression, anxiety, hallucinations and self-harm.'
