Drunk father yelled let them die' after hurling kittens into Thames

"Andrew Shephard was helping his daughter rehome the three young cats when he tipped them from a box into the water from Twickenham Bridge in south west London last November. As he did, he could be heard shouting let them die and I want them to die, Wimbledon Magistrates' Court heard on Tuesday. JPs were told the 59-year-old who previously pleaded guilty to three counts of causing unnecessary suffering to a protected animal had said he did not know what came over me."

"The animals were both said to be in shock and their temperature had dropped below 33C. The court heard the kittens belonged to Shephard's daughter, who had given them to her father in order to help rehome them. Ms Kukadia said the defendant's daughter was not aware of his actions in relation to the incident on the bridge. After the incident, Shephard spoke to police and told them he felt bad about the situation and had shown remorse."

Andrew Shephard, 59, admitted three counts of causing unnecessary suffering after tipping three young cats into the River Thames from Twickenham Bridge while intoxicated. He shouted 'let them die' and 'I want them to die' during the incident. One kitten was rescued before falling in; two were recovered wet, muddy and in shock with temperatures below 33C. The kittens, named River, Happy and Lucky, were later rehomed with rescuers in Chiswick and Suffolk. Shephard reported feeling remorse, cited an alcohol problem and said he did not know what came over him; he avoided imprisonment.

Read at www.standard.co.uk