Cat torture conviction overturned

The case was heard at the Court of Criminal Appeal

A man found guilty of torturing a cat has won a six-year legal battle to clear his name.

Jamie Orr, from Dundee, claimed he was a victim of a miscarriage of justice.

Two youths said they had seen Mr Orr, who was 17 at the time of the incident in May 1999, holding a cat's tail and swinging it around his head.

Judges at the Court of Criminal Appeal in Edinburgh overturned his conviction after hearing new evidence that one of the youths had lied in court.

Mr Orr's case was investigated by the Scottish Criminal Cases Review Commission (SCCRC).

The Crown did not oppose his move to have the conviction set aside.

Lord Justice General, Lord Cullen, sitting with Lord Clarke and Lord Kirkwood, granted the move.

Tail amputated

Mr Orr was originally charged under the Protection of Animals (Scotland) Act.

He denied the offence but was convicted and ordered to carry out 120 hours community service.

Mr Orr, of Balgowan Square, Dundee, did not initially appeal against his conviction, but after changing lawyers made an application to the SCCRC.

The appeal judges were told that it was not disputed at Mr Orr's trial that a black and white cat called Phobie had been injured.

The animal was taken to a vet on 5 May, 1999, and had its tail amputated.

In a bill to suspend his conviction his lawyers said there was evidence that a witness made statements to a woman on a bus in Dundee after the conclusion of the trial to the effect that he lied in court when he said Mr Orr injured the cat.