This is the moment ‘cat woman’ Mary Bale arrives at court to answer charges of animal cruelty.
Dressed in green, the 45-year-old is appearing before Coventry Magistrates Court accused of causing unnecessary suffering to a cat and not providing an animal with a suitable environment.
BREAKING NEWS: MARY BALE PLEADS GUILTY
Bale gained global notoriety in August when she was filmed allegedly dumping Lola the cat into a wheelie bin.
CCTV appeared to show Bale grabbing Lola by the scruff of the neck, throwing her in a wheelie bin and slamming the lid shut.
The terrified tabby was trapped for 15 hours before her owners Stephanie Andrews-Mann, 24, and husband Darryl, 26, finally found her the following morning.
Bank worker Bale, signed off from her role at Natwest with stress following the incident, became a global hate figure – receiving threats from around the world.
RSPCA spokeswoman Judith Haw said: “The RSPCA has taken the case to court as two alleged offences have been committed; of causing unnecessary suffering to a cat and of not providing the animal with a suitable environment.
“Ms Bale was witnessed on CCTV footage stroking a cat, then looking round and picking the cat up by the scruff of its neck before putting it in a wheelie bin, shutting the lid and walking away from the scene. At no point did she return.”
The offences, under the Animal Welfare Act, can carry a prison sentence and lifetime ban from keeping animals.
