Barry Haggerty, 58, hit 1-year-old Mixey with his car last April, then returned to the scene and drove back and forth over the writhing animal, crushing its skull during the final attempt. The incident was caught on security cameras belonging to the cats owner.
Magistrates sentenced Haggerty to a six-week suspended jail term and fined him about $7,200 after the Buckinghamshire resident pleaded guilty to animal cruelty.
Defense attorney David Price explained during the trail that Haggerty had simply been trying to put the cat out of its misery after hitting it the first time, and thought the cars tires missed Mixey the first eight times after he returned.
I feel really awful. My only thoughts were how can I stop this animal suffering. The only thing I had was the car. I thought I was acting in the best interests of the cat, Haggerty said.
Posted: Dec. 28, 2005, 3p.m. EST