Four cats drowned by drunken woman

A drunken woman "systematically" drowned four of her friend's cats in a bathtub, a court was told.

Samantha Browning was facing jail today after admitting carrying out the act at a house in Tipton when she returned from a party drunk and on drugs.

The 21-year-old's crime was discovered after two of the cats' bodies were later found having being stuffed into a plastic bag.

They had then been flung over a fence, Sandwell Magistrates' Court heard.

Mr Nick Sutton, prosecuting for the RSPCA, said: "This was a terrible death.

"These were young cats, they were intelligent creatures and she accepted they struggled. They must have been abundantly aware what was going on as they saw what happened to the others. They were waiting to be killed."

Mr Sutton told the court that Browning's crime came to light after a friend of hers took issue with a posting about the cats' welfare on the social networking website, Facebook.

The friend, who reported the posting to the RSPCA, said she was told the cats were proving too costly to keep for their owner.

The cats were killed at some point between January 1 and February 17 this year, Mr Sutton said. The cats' owner is alleged to have helped fill the bathtub.

Browning then held each animal, each of them around one year old, under the water in turn. Mr Sutton added: "The fourth was more difficult. Miss Browning said she was reluctant but the owner said she had already killed three."

During yesterday's hearing, Browning, of Mason Street, West Bromwich, pleaded guilty to drowning four cats. Mrs Helen Pinning, for Browning, said: "She is very remorseful and remains very upset about what she's done."

The case was adjourned for pre-sentence reports. Browning was granted bail and will next appear before magistrates on August 22.