A pair of Carlisle women who inflicted horrific fatal injuries on a parrot have been jailed.
Tracy Dixon, 47, of Warnell Drive, Carlisle, and Nicola Bradley, 35, of Welsh Road, Carlisle, were convicted of causing unnecessary suffering to a protected animal following trial at Carlisle Magistrates' Court on Tuesday, 18th July 2023.
They were sentenced at Carlisle Crown Court earlier today, 29th August 2023, by HHJ Richard Archer.
Causing unnecessary suffering to a protected animal is an offence under section 4 of the Animal Welfare Act 2004. The maximum penalty is 5 years' custody and/or an unlimited fine on conviction on indictment; 12 months' custody and/or an unlimited fine on summary conviction.
Briefly, Dixon and Bradley blamed each other for drunkenly attacking African Grey parrot Sparky when her owner was asleep upstairs.
Sparky suffered a terrible demise, having been doused in cleaning products, hit with a rolled tea towel and spun in the tumble dryer. The duo also attempted to feed Sparky's lifeless body to her owner's pet dog.
HHJ Archer, sentencing, said: "On the day of your offending in July of last year, you together sadistically tortured and essentially killed Sparky.
"The way in which suffering was caused to that animal is shocking."
He added: "This is a case where appropriate punishment can only be achieved by immediate custody.
"If an immediate prison sentence were not warranted or required for the deliberate, sadistic torture to death of an animal, then one can not imagine a case where it would be appropriate to impose an immediate custodial sentence."
Dixon and Bradley were sentenced to 25 months' immediate custody.
The right outcome for such a horrific offence.
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