A hamster owner was filmed cutting up and eating their pet, named Mr Nibbles, a court was told.
On Wednesday, Emma Parker, 39, was jailed for 12 months after footage of her attack on the pet was shared online.
Two videos filmed at Parker’s home in Great Gonerby, Lincolnshire were sent to the Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (RSPCA) by a concerned member of the public, Lincoln Crown Court heard.
The first video showed Parker cutting the hamster while it was still alive, while the second video showed her consuming it.
Gordon Holt, prosecuting, said: “The two videos seen on social media showed the defendant with a hamster in a hamster ball. The defendant is holding the ball with a knife in the other hand.
“She takes the knife and plunges it through the opening of the ball moving the knife from side to side.”
“The hamster can be heard repeatedly squealing, it is allowed to escape and runs around a while.”
During police interviews, Parker admitted she was the woman in the video and claimed that she was helping the hamster to die after it had been bitten by one of her dogs earlier in the day.
Parker said the incident took place at her home in mid-May, but refused to name those filming the footage, telling police: “they are not nice people.”
A vet with 27 years’ experience who watched the footage described the content as deeply disturbing and said Mr Nibbles would have suffered both physical and psychological damage, as hamsters are prey animals that can feel fear.
The vet added that she had never heard a hamster squeal like Mr Nibbles did during the whole of her career.
Home vandalised with dog faeces
Parker, of Belvoir Gardens, Great Gonerby, admitted one charge of causing unnecessary suffering to a protected animal.The court heard that Parker had been made the subject of community orders in both 2021 and 2022 for offences of shoplifting, and had a long history of addiction to Class A drugs.
Chris Brewin, mitigating, said Parker had been targeted as a result of the video, with her home vandalised and dog faeces put through the letter box.
The court was told Parker had been “cuckooed” by a drug dealer who lived nearby and was under instruction when she filmed the videos.
Mr Brewin said Parker had also been involved in a recent car crash that left her with burns.
‘Abhorrent’ behaviour
Passing sentence, Judge James House KC told Parker he had to take into account that Parliament had recently raised the maximum sentence for such animal cruelty from six months to five years’ imprisonment.Judge House said it was “abhorrent” that violence had been inflicted on a defenceless animal for other people’s entertainment.
“The hamster was injured at least twice and then, while still alive, cut in half,” Judge House said.
“What is notable from her interview is the refusal to name who else is present and who is videoing the footage,” he added.
Judge House also banned Parker from keeping animals for 15 years after telling her he regarded her cruelty as “serious as could be”.
After the RSPCA became aware of the video a spokesman said: “This is an extremely upsetting video and we’d like to reassure the public that we are investigating and working closely with the police.
“Please do not share it or comment on it as it increases the chances of other people seeing it and being distressed.”
Two dogs were also removed from Parker’s home.
Woman jailed after cutting up and eating Mr Nibbles, her pet hamster
Vet says the rodent let out squeals of a type she’d never heard before during trial of pet owner who claimed to be euthanising the animal
www.telegraph.co.uk
