Two UK women sentenced to jail for cruel killing of friend's pet parrot
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London: Two women in the UK have been handed jail sentences for the "sadistic" killing of a friend's pet parrot.
Nicola Bradley and Tracy Dixon, residents of Carlisle, were found guilty of the cruel act that led to the death of a female African grey parrot named Sparky. The incident occurred during an extensive drinking session, where the two women subjected the innocent bird to a horrifying ordeal.
The details of the case reveal that Bradley and Dixon sprayed cleaning products on Sparky and then placed her in a tumble dryer before ultimately breaking her neck. The judge presiding over the case at Carlisle Crown Court strongly condemned their actions, characterising their cruelty as "beyond comprehension." Consequently, each woman received a jail sentence of 25 months for their part in the distressing incident.
The owner of the parrot, Paul Crooks, presented a heart-wrenching account of the aftermath, stating that he now struggles with anxiety, panic attacks, and sleeping difficulties. The incident occurred on July 30 of the previous year, when Crooks provided the women with a ride to his residence after a night of heavy drinking.
Crooks recounted that after leaving his house to run errands, he returned home to discover Sparky in an unresponsive and unrecognisable state, with her head hanging limply from her cage. The parrot was known for its charming ability to sing the national anthem and theme tunes from popular TV soaps, making the loss all the more devastating to Crooks and his friends.
Disturbingly, the court proceedings unveiled that the women even attempted to feed Sparky to Crooks's dog before proceeding to place the parrot into a running tumble dryer.
As a consequence of their actions, Bradley and Dixon have been banned from owning or keeping animals indefinitely. The court's decision aimed to prevent any further harm to innocent creatures due to their misconduct.
Reflecting on the tragic loss of Sparky, Crooks expressed the significant void left in his life by her absence. He shared, "In terms of not having Sparky around anymore, it's not been the same without her. The house is so quiet without her now and she's been a huge miss."