A TEENAGER who microwaved a cat to death after he claimed it started talking to him has been sentenced to 22 weeks in a young offenders’ institution.

Jamie Blake, who previously admitted causing unnecessary suffering to a protected animal, put the cat into a microwave because he said it was telling him his mother’s ex-partner, who is dead, was injecting her with heroin.

West Suffolk Magistrates’ Court in Bury St Edmunds was told the 19-year-old, who was staying in sheltered accommodation at John Room House in Thetford, laughed about killing the animal with disbelieving fellow residents.

But he was later arrested after CCTV footage showed him leaving his room with the cat, which he had named Buddy, stuffed inside a carrier bag.

Yesterday magistrates ruled that a custodial sentence was the only “option”.

Susan Taylor, lead magistrate, said: “The crime was aggravated by the fact that death occurred. I can only imagine the suffering that the poor animal had to endure.”

Sally Dale, mitigating for Blake, said her client had a personality disorder which had been exacerbated by the use of crack cocaine.

She added: “It is fair to say that at the time of the offence he was in a psychosis caused by drugs.

“Since the offence, he has been in custody and as such is no longer under the influence of drugs.”

Miss Dale said: “Having represented Mr Blake a number of times, I have always been concerned about his medical health, whether treatable or not, it exists and is exacerbated by drug usage.”

The court was told that some of the things Blake claimed the cat had said could be explained with reference to his upbringing.

Miss Dale, who said Blake had been a “model prisoner” added:“He is a young man that faced a difficult up bringing and of what he is saying does make sense. He can rationalise that now because he is off the crack cocaine.”

Although credit was given to Blake for his early guilty plea, Mrs Taylor said she also had to consider the fact that the teenager had “bragged” about the cat’s death in September this year.

The 20 days in custody Blake has already served will count towards his sentence.