John Justin Leary tried to drown stepson's kitten in anger

AUSTRALIA -- A QUIZMASTER convicted of trying to drown his stepson’s kitten on the shores of Kirribilli House has been told his ­actions were “an atrocious display of ­humanity at its worst”.

John Justin Leary, who lived close to the Prime Minister’s official residence, “went nuts” before throwing Cleo the cat into Sydney Harbour on January 21, 2014.

Cleo was lucky to survive after being thrown into Sydney Harbour;
she clawed her way out of a paper bag before being rescued by bystanders.

The 46-year-old threw the Siamese cat off Lady Gowrie Lookout at midday after storming out of the million-dollar Kirribilli Ave apartment he used to share with his partner and her son.

Workmen eating their lunch nearby heard meowing from the water ­before seeing the kitten tear out of the heavy-duty paper bag in which she had been ­encased. They encouraged her to swim 5m to shore before plucking her to safety.

John Justin Leary tried to kill his stepson’s cat
by throwing it into Sydney Harbour

Leary tried unsuccessfully to ­retrieve the kitten a short time later.

“My stepson is a homosexual and very attached to the cat, and won’t give it up,” Leary told witnesses, according to RSPCA facts tendered to Downing Centre Local Court.

Leary also told witnesses the cat scratched his newborn baby’s face and claimed his partner told him to hit the animal over the head with a hammer, something he said he had refused to do.

The RSPCA facts tendered to court say there was no baby.

Leary was convicted on June 17 of one count of aggravated animal cruelty, prohibited from owning animals for 10 years, fined $2,000 and ordered to pay veterinary costs of $398.

RSPCA NSW chief inspector David O’Shannessy said the incident was ­unusual because it was a “premeditated attack on a defenseless animal”.
(Perth Now - June 20, 2015)