Gary Cooper: Launceston man sentenced for kicking cat to death

A Tasmanian man, for no apparent reason, launched into a “sustained and utterly pointless” attack on a sick cat, which had to be euthanised afterwards. CONTENT WARNING

A Tasmanian meth addict launched into a “sustained and utterly pointless” attack on a sick cat, brutalising it so much it had to be euthanised, a court has heard.

Ravenswood man Gary Raymond Cooper, 32, was sentenced by Launceston Magistrate Simon Brown on Tuesday after the defendant was previously found guilty of two charges of harming an animal.

He also previously pleaded guilty to charges of destroying property and driving while disqualified by a court.

The latter two offences were in breach of a four-month suspended sentence imposed on July 21 last year for three charges of driving while disqualified and one of low-range drink driving.

Mr Brown told the court the assault on the “most unwell” cat, committed on April 4 last year at an address at Mowbray, was the “sort of thing in a civilised community people are rightfully disgusted by”.

Mr Brown said Cooper “initially kicked the cat with real force... (then) soon after picked up the injured animal and threw it with real force and kicked it (again) with force”.

“It was later euthanised by a vet,” Mr Brown said.

“It appears to have started without premeditation.

“It was a sustained and utterly pointless attack.

“The animal no doubt suffered dreadfully.

“It was most unwell at the time, which simply underlines how vulnerable the cat was.”

The court heard Cooper had a lengthy history of offending, predominantly traffic but also for weapons, drugs and dishonesty.

“You’ve been sentenced to every option available to the court (including terms of actual imprisonment),” Mr Brown said.

Cooper was saved from an additional stint behind bars by the fact he had kicked his meth addiction and held down full-time work for the last six or seven months, with his boss providing a character reference, the court heard.

Mr Brown sentenced Cooper to five months’ home detention and extended the operational period of the previous suspended sentence by eight months.