Family’s plea for justice after 7-month-old kitten is shot dead near Norwich

Mr Carr and Ms Kent buried Angel in their garden with both of their children saying their goodbyes (Image: Ryan Carr)

Ryan Carr, 31 and his partner Janie Kent, 34, of Desmond Drive, Old Catton, left their back window open when they went to The Woodman pub on North Walsham Road at 7.30pm on Saturday, so their cats could roam about the immediate vicinity of their neighbourhood.

But when his partner returned following a concerned call from a neighbour at about 9.45pm, she found Angel lying unresponsive in front of the house surrounded by the family's other kittens.

Mr Carr said: 'She rang me screaming and crying saying he had been killed - at that point we thought he had been run over but when I came back I checked him over and saw there was one pellet-sized hole near the centre of his head.'

'We left the window open but they never usually venture far away - usually only 10 metres or so away from the house.'

Mr Carr reported the incident to police on Sunday, who are now investigating the kitten's death as possible criminal damage.

The Criminal Damage Act 1971 classes animals as property, which is why someone who kills an animal is charged with criminal damage.

The family held a burial service in their back garden on Sunday afternoon so that both Mr Carr and Ms Kent's children could say their goodbyes, but yesterday he posted on Facebook appealing for help in bringing those responsible to justice.

In the impassioned post, which has been shared more than 280 times already, Mr Carr said: 'My children are sobbing, my partner is heartbroken and my other cats are pining for their brother.'

'I wont rest until the person has consequences for the pain they have caused my family.'

Angel was one of five kittens looked after by the couple and their family - Mr Carr's children Brooke, nine, and Kayden, seven, and Ms Kent's children Kai, 14, and Kaleb, 16.

Anyone with information should ring police on 101.