A CRUEL dog walker who was caught kicking a cat days before it died has avoided jail after claiming: "I saw red".

Terry Bree, 71, left pet-lovers sickened after the footage emerged of him booting innocent Lenny the cat.

He was also filmed appearing to berate his dog as he walked along a street in Leamington Spa, Warwickshire.

Bree has now pleaded guilty to a charge of causing unnecessary suffering to a protected animal.

He avoided jail and was instead handed a 12-month community order with a requirement to complete 300 hours of unpaid work.

Magistrates were told Bree "just saw red" when he lashed out at 21-year-old moggy Larry.

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The black and white cat "went downhill" after he was "viciously kicked" by Bree – although medical reports on his cause of death have been inconclusive.

In a victim impact statement read to the court, Lenny's owner said: "Since this happened I have not been sleeping properly. I wake up during the night expecting to hear him but then remember he has passed away.

"I had Lenny since he was a kitten. I feel sickened and shocked that someone could do this to him.

"I strongly believe the shock caused his death."

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The court was shown the viral footage where Bree sends the cat flying into the air.

A police appeal was launched to find the kicker, with the pensioner coming forward to the RSPCA himself.

His lawyer Jas Thiara said Bree was very conscious the case had "caused a lot of public outcry".

She also said he has had "issues with cats" for many years and that Bree claimed the animal had scratched his dog's nose.

The lawyer added: "Unfortunately in this case the cat has passed. There is no medical evidence that the kick caused the death of the animal."

As well as a community order, Bree was ordered to pay £200 in compensation, £185 in costs and a victim surcharge of £114.

He was also banned from owning or keeping a cat for the next five years.

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