A MAN killed a kitten when he threw it against a wall after a drunken row with his girlfriend, a court was told.

Harvey Anderson, 25, a student, hurled the white kitten seven feet though the air when his girlfriend Melanie Schmidt threatened to leave him, Brighton magistrates were told.

The animal, just a few weeks old, suffered two fractures of the skull and brain damage from the severe impact as it hit the wall.

It died soon afterwards, said David Buck, prosecuting for the RSPCA.

Anderson, of Goldstone Villas, Hove, admitted causing unnecessary suffering to the cat.

The court heard he also picked up three other kittens and dropped them on the floor and threw the mother cat at his

girlfriend.

Those animals escaped without injury.

Mr Buck told the court Anderson had drunk four pints of lager in a pub and later exploded in rage when his live-in girlfriend told him she

wanted to end their relationship.

He said: "He became very angry. He picked up the kitten and threw it underarm about seven feet and it hit the wall.

"He picked up the other kittens and dropped them on the floor, then he picked up the mother cat and threw it at Miss Schmidt."

Sue Lenier, defending, said Anderson bitterly regretted the incident. He had never been cruel to an animal before.

Anderson is now back with Miss Schmidt and his girlfriend spoke up for him in court and asked for them to be allowed to keep the mother cat.

Miss Lenier said Anderson had been seeing a psychologist and had stopped drinking.

She said: "He feels real remorse."

Miss Schmidt told the court: "He was devastated. Our cat is looked after brilliantly. She is a lovely cat and we love her to bits."

The case was adjourned for four weeks for reports.

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