Cat ‘blown up’ remotely as neighbour booby-traps fowl feeder in horror footage
WARNING, DISTRESSING CONTENT: James Garnor is alleged to have fitted an explosive to the bird table in his back garden, and filmed as it detonated in front of the cat, named Suki
A parish councillor has stepped down following allegations of rigging his garden with a booby trap that led to a neighbour’s cat being “exploded”.
James Garnor, formerly of Whittlebury Parish Council in South Northamptonshire, is accused of attaching an explosive device to his bird table and capturing on film the moment it exploded as Suki the cat was present. Neighbours were left in shock after footage showed the feline on the bird table just before an orange flash and a cloud of black smoke erupted.
However, while Suki survived the ordeal with only singed whiskers, her owner Nikki has noticed a drastic shift in the 11-year-old tabby since the April 2023 incident.
Speaking to LBC, she explained: “She’s not the loving cat she used to be but I don’t blame her.
“The change in her happened pretty much overnight. She would come and sit for hours, cuddling and playing and bobbing her head all over you,” reports the Mirror.
Nikki observed that previously, Suki was very sociable, but now she “very rarely comes near you”, and even “hisses” and “growls” when approached.
After receiving the video, Nikki posted it to a local Facebook group, which led to a tip-off from a neighbour pointing to Mr Garnor’s involvement. Following the controversy, he resigned from the parish council last week.
Whittlebury Parish Council issued a statement on Saturday, addressing community situation: “We understand the concerns raised by the community and want to assure everyone that we take all matters of animal welfare seriously. We can confirm that Cllr Garnor resigned from the council on Friday 7th February 2025, with immediate effect.”
The council stressed its inability to get involved in private issues but urged residents to consider animal wellbeing: “While the council cannot intervene in private matters, we encourage all individuals to act responsibly and with consideration for the wellbeing of all animals.
“We are committed to maintaining the trust and confidence of our community and will continue to uphold the highest standards of conduct.”
Mr Garnor had cooperated with police last year after a complaint was lodged by a local: Northamptonshire Police said two men in the village were spoken to, but there was “insufficient evidence” to bring any charges.
The police force detailed the investigation timeline: “On August 23, 2023, Northamptonshire Police received a report of a cat being injured by a firework at a property in High Street, Whittlebury. Further enquiries established the alleged incident had occurred on April 9, 2023.”
The police conducted a search and interviews but found no grounds for prosecution: “Investigations saw a warrant carried out at a property in High Street, Whittlebury, on October 5, 2023. On October 6, 2023, a man attended a voluntary interview regarding the matters reported to the Force. A second man was also identified and spoken to in relation to the investigation. There was insufficient evidence to prove criminal charges in relation to the investigation.
“The matter was dealt with by use of anti-social behaviour legislation in March 2024. The owner of the cat was updated throughout the investigation and was advised of this outcome.”
