A MAN who strangled his four cats after he was set to be evicted has been jailed for four months.

David Hill, 58, was due to be kicked out of his rented house in Wellesley Road, Clacton, because it was in bad state, a court heard. He failed to find friends to take on the cats and the RSPCA could not rehome them.

Instead, Hill broke their necks, burned them in a bin, then dumped their bodies in a coal bunker, Colchester Magistrates’ Court was told.

Hill admitted causing unnecessary suffering to a protected animal and was jailed for four months.

Tamzin Sharp, prosecuting, said: “Police received reports by members of the public Hill had killed his cats.

“Officers found the remains of four cats in a coal bunker.

“He broke their necks and then burned them.

“The defendant said they didn’t scream and didn’t seem in pain. The last one fought against him and scratched him because he saw what had happened to the other three.”

Hill’s lawyer, Gareth Hunter, said his client was not a well man, though a report to the court made no mention of mental health issues.

Mr Hunter said: “He cared deeply about his cats and broke down when he spoke about them to me. He was very worried about where they would go.

“It’s a shocking thing and he deeply regrets it.”

Robin Orbell, chairman of the bench, sentenced Hill to four months in prison and banned him from owning, keeping or helping to keep an animal for the rest of his life.

He said the only reason Hill was not jailed for six months was because he had pleaded guilty. Hill will be able to apply to have the life ban lifted in ten years.