Woman who threw cat in bin 16 years in the past residing like ‘recluse’ after on-line hate

Mary Bale went viral after she was caught on CCTV dumping an innocent cat into a wheelie bin landing her the nickname ‘Cat bin lady’ and a fine of £250

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A woman who was responsible for hurling a cat into a wheelie bin in one of the internet’s first viral videos has become a recluse after the international attention she received became unbearable.

The viral CCTV footage which set the internet on fire back in 2010 as led to an international online witch hunt against the woman for her animal abuse stunt. The video starts with the woman walking up to the unsuspecting feline. She goes to stroke the cat a few times before the footage takes a shocking turn.

Then, with very surprising dexterity, the woman swiftly picks up the poor animal by the scruff off the neck, flips open the lid of a nearby wheelie bin and dumps the unfortunate feline into the depths of the bin. After hurling the poor pet into the waste bin the woman walks off nonchalantly as if nothing was amiss.

The tabby cat named Lola was trapped in the bin for a shocking 15 hours after the ordeal. Mary Bale, who was 45 at the time of the viral video, claimed she binned the poor animal as “a joke” and added “it’s only a cat.”

However despite her previously being dismissive of her abhorrent actions the lady, hailing from Coventry, has become a recluse and is widely still known as the “Cat Bin Lady,” the Daily Mail reports. Despite Lola the tabby being made a victim in the viral video, she went on to live a happy long life and passed away around five years ago.

However the fateful day rattled Mary Bale’s life forever. After the incident the woman claimed she didn’t understand why the viral video had sparked such anger. She stated: “I really don’t see what everyone is getting so excited about. It’s just a cat.

“I was walking home from work and saw this cat wander out in front of me. I was playing with it, stroking it and listening to it purr as it stood on a garden wall. It was very friendly.

“I don’t know what came over me, but I suddenly thought it would be funny to put it in the wheelie bin, which was right beside me. I did it as a joke because I thought it would be funny. I never thought it would be trapped. I expected it to wriggle out of the bin.”

Bale added: “People are reading too much into things. I’ve no feelings about cats one way or the other. I don’t keep pets myself, but I have no problem with people who do.

“To think this video is being seen around the world is unbelievable. I’m a very private person and don’t want to upset any members of my family. I don’t know what my relatives will think, but to be honest I think everyone’s overreacting a bit.

“OK, I shouldn’t have done it, but it’s just a cat at the end of the day. I don’t think I deserve to be hated by people all over the world, it was just a split second of madness.”

However as public outrage mounted against the Cov woman she pulled a U-turn on her previous statements as numerous Facebook groups called for her death. She later claimed she was “profoundly sorry” and called the incident “a split second of misjudgement”.

In a statement she said: “I want to take this opportunity to apologise profusely for the upset and distress that my actions have caused.

“I cannot explain why I did this, it is completely out of character and I certainly did not intend to cause any distress to Lola or her owners. It was a split second of misjudgement that has got completely out of control.

“I wish to reiterate that I am profoundly sorry for my actions and wish to resolve this matter to everyone’s satisfaction as soon as possible.”

One anonymous local has said Bale was never able to escape the hate she got from the video. The local stated: “Mary has never got over her notoriety. She was vilified by people across the world. Most people have long forgotten it but not everyone and she doesn’t feel forgiven.

“She resigned from her job in the aftermath of the furore and never re-established a proper career. She leads a very very quiet life now and rarely speaks to anyone. I think she remains deeply embarrassed and thinks that’s all she will ever be known for.”

A sympathetic local mother-of-two Diana said the viral woman’s actions had “plagued Mary over the years and she had never been able to live down the shame.” She added: “At times she struggles and I do feel sorry for her.”

After the nasty incident in August 2010 it emerged Bale’s father was coming to the end of his life and the mental anguish could have caused her bizarre behaviour.

A third neighbour referenced this difficult time in Bale’s life, and said: “Obviously it was a weird thing for her to do but when learned that her father was dying at the time – he passed just a few months later – it was clear she was not in a good place at the time she did it. Those of us who know about her are broadly sympathetic.”

In 2010 Bale appeared in court over the animal abuse. Defence solicitor David Murray told District Judge Caroline Goulborn that Bale’s father, who has since died, was gravely ill when the “impulsive and irrational” offence was committed on August 21.

Passing sentence, Miss Goulborn told Bale: “I accept that you were in a stressful situation at the time, but that’s no excuse for what you did. The media interest in this case has resulted in you being vilified in some quarters and I have taken that into account.”

Bale was fined £250 after she pleaded guilty to causing unnecessary suffering to Lola the cat. Speaking outside court, Mr Murray stressed Bale wished to apologise for her actions and “bitterly regretted” what she had done.

The lawyer added: “For a moment’s aberration she has paid a significant price. She has received hate-mail, abusive telephone messages and death threats.”

Now a recluse Ms Bale is still facing the steep cost of her actions.

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