Drug-fuelled teen punched cat to loss of life earlier than sinking 8-inch blade into girlfriend in sequence of assaults
Steven Cornish, 19, viciously killed his partner’s cat before forcing her to clean up the aftermath, then abused her in a series of violent attacks, a court heard
A drug-crazed teenage thug stabbed his girlfriend with an eight-inch kitchen knife after viciously punching her cat to death.
Steven Cornish, 19, attacked the cat “out of nowhere” while his girlfriend was sleeping, then forced her to clean up the aftermath. He then stabbed his girlfriend in a separate incident, in a series of violent attacks on her.
A sentencing hearing at Newport Crown Court heard on Thursday that when the victim was asleep in bed at their home in Cardiff when he unleashed the attack back in May. She was awoken by the sound of the defendant, who was under the influence of drugs, picking up the cat and slamming it against the floor and walls.
He then grabbed the cat by its tail and punched it repeatedly until it died. The defendant then forced his partner to clean up, and pulled her hair while threatening her if she called the police, WalesOnline reports.
In the second attack in June, Cornish was “incoherent” and began waving a kitchen knife around before stabbing the victim in the right leg above the knee.
Prosecutor Dan Jones said this appeared to “bring Cornish to his senses” and he apologised before helping the victim to the bathroom. She suffered a one-inch laceration to her leg.
He told the victim: “I’m such a c***, you can’t be with someone like me. It just won’t work.”
On July 10 and 11, Cornish began to hit the victim over the head with a TV remote “out of nowhere” and dragged her across the floor before spitting on her and pulling her hair. He called her “worthless and angry”.
On July 15, the defendant slapped and elbowed the victim in her face and caused her a black eye. The final incident took place on July 16, when Cornish was again incoherent and assaulted the victim with a metal mop pole, hitting her to the head. She suffered bruising to her lower right calf, bruising to her right hand, a scratch to her back and a cut to the back of her head.
Police were called and attended the address, and they described the victim as “petrified”.
Cornish, of May Street, Cathays, later pleaded guilty to causing unnecessary suffering to an animal, causing grievous bodily harm, two counts of assault occasioning actual bodily harm and assault by beating.
The court heard the defendant has no previous convictions but has a caution for battery and shoplifting.
In mitigation, David Pinnell said his client has “developmental issues” as a result of his childhood and upbringing, and his use of cannabis was a factor in his offending. Since his remand in custody, the defendant says he is drug free and he has sought to obtain employment in prison. Judge Daniel Williams sentenced Cornish to a total of 15 months detention in a young offenders institute.
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