University of York student, James White, pleaded guilty to animal cruelty at Selby Crown Court last week after he attempted to fry his flatmate’s hamster.
The Politics and International Relations student was reportedly so drunk that he was “on the point of madness” during the incident and had no recollection of his actions.
The police were called to his flat late at night on February 4th 2012 after neighbours complained of a “pungent” cooking smell coming from White’s residence. It was only moments later that officers discovered the animal lying in a frying man next to a lit hob.
21-year-old White has been issued with an eight-year ban against keeping animals. He was also ordered to complete 120 hours community service and pay £1,000 toward prosecution costs that surmounted to £3,356.
Though he said he had no recollection of the night’s events during his sentencing, White is reported to have exclaimed, “I f****** fried it” when the police primarily questioned him. His sentence was reduced on the grounds that, though he admitted to causing unnecessary suffering to the animal, he claimed the rodent was dead before putting it in the pan.
The prosecution said that he was found “significantly in drink, collapsed on the floor” and that, when asked what his name was, he answered “1, 2, 3, 4.” During the sentencing, District Judge Roy Anderson read out a letter from the pet’s owner, which revealed that he hadn’t had time to name the hamster before its death. Anderson also stated: “By your treatment of this small, unfortunate rodent you have destroyed your character.”
White changed his plea to guilty following Anderson’s indication that he would still be convicted even if the animal was found to be dead before it was fried. Though two expert witnesses in animal pathology were called to the case, no sufficient evidence could be found to prove that the animal had died before being placed in the frying pan.
The post-mortem results confirmed that the hamster had not died from natural causes, though it could not be disclosed whether this was from rough handling or frying.
No certainty could be distinguished between defence expert, Ranald Munro, who originally intended to tell the court that the female hamster had died of a heart attack due to rough handling prior to being placed in the pan, and Dr Lorenzo Ressel, who thought that the pet had been fried alive. However, both agreed that the animal, “if not dying in the frying pan, died a matter of minutes before.”
Anderson concluded: “What happened on that night is still shrouded in mystery…It’s accepted now that there was rough handling of that animal but that it couldn’t be established that it was putting it in the frying pan and applying heat that caused its death. Had that sadistic conduct been established I would be dealing with you in a far more serious way than I am.”
Speaking directly after the sentencing, RSPCA inspector Claire Mitchell said: “I’ve heard of animals being put into microwaves but have never come across this before. Although it was a police officer who found the hamster I have to say it was quite upsetting to hear about this cruelty.”
White is to be put under a 12-month probationary order and is still living with the hamster’s owner, Kevin Blount, whose letter to the court supported his character. Blount remarked: “It was drunken foolishness by a student which had tragic consequences for the hamster” that were never intended.
District Judge Anderson also said that he had no doubt that in other areas of his life White was a “decent hard working young man” who was focused upon his degree and career. James White was unavailable to comment on his recent sentencing.