A MAN beat his estranged partner’s pet cat with a mop, causing horrific injuries, including a fractured skull.

Blackburn magistrates heard the six-month-old animal, which screamed during the ordeal, did not die until the following day.

But Sajad Hussain prevented his former girlfriend from taking her pet to the vets and it was left to suffer through the night.

Hussain, 50, of Ripon Street, Blackburn, pleaded guilty to causing unnecessary suffering to a cat belonging to Nicola Shoreham.

He was committed on bail to Preston Crown Court to be sentenced after magistrates ruled their powers of punishment were insufficient.

Carmel Wilde, prosecuting, said the couple had been in a relationship for four years but it had ended six months before the incident in November. Hussain visited her house and was initially nice.

“That soon changed and she went to her bedroom and lie down and rest,” said Miss Wilde. “She hadn’t been out of the house for three weeks because she was suffering from depression. She said she loved the cat, which was called Mia, and it had helped to have it with her when she was depressed. She said the cat never left her side.”

Miss Wilde said Hussain entered the bedroom and objected to the cat being on the bed. He initially moved it to the bottom of the bed but then said he had had enough, put a lead around the cats neck and dragged it out of the room. It came back and this time he grabbed hold of it and took it out.

His partner went to the bathroom and heard the cat screaming, some banging and the defendant calling the cat a ‘little bitch’.

“The screaming went on for about 20 seconds but the banging continued,” said Miss Wilde. “She was too scared to leave the bathroom. He told her he had hit the cat with a mop, there was blood all over the place and he thought he had killed it.”

Miss Shoreham found the cat with blood coming from its mouth, ears and paws. She mopped the blood from its mouth to help it breath but it was gurgling as its head flopped from side to side.

“She wanted to take the cat to the vets but he wouldn’t let her and said he would get in trouble,” said Miss Wilde. “The next morning the cat was still breathing but there came a point were that stopped and it was clearly dead.”

Miss Shoreham managed to contact a friend who came round and confronted Hussain. He said it was alright because the cat would be “fine in paradise.”

The RSPCA became involved and a post mortem examination showed the cat had a fractured skull and severe brain haemorrhaging. Fractured claws showed Mia had been fighting against the attack before falling unconscious.

Miss Wilde said among the defendant’s previous convictions were one for assault in 2011 and a manslaughter conviction in Denmark in 1997.

Gareth Price, defending, said a pre-sentence report which the magistrates had read mentioned mental health and learning difficulties.

“They may well impact on the sentencing exercise at the Crown Court,” said Mr Price.

The chairman of the magistrates said the guidelines suggested the starting point was 18 weeks in custody.

“In your case there are aggravating features, including previous for violence,” he said. “We have also noted your lack of remorse which has been shown in court today and in the pre-sentence report we have read."