CONVICTED (2020) | Thomas Andrew Wade, born 02/03/1993, previously of Mellor Street, Stockton-on-Tees, but as of September 2020 living in an NHS care facility in Park Avenue, Hartlepool TS26 0DZ – subjected his pet cat to prolonged torture which included putting her into a hot oven and flushing her down the toilet Thomas Wade aka ‘Evil Tom’ most recently of Hartlepool but with links to Stockton on Tees and Grimsby Wade claimed in court he heard voices from a WWE wrestler named Kane before launching the attack on the cat, known as Sweetie. During her ordeal, which came after she apparently “disobeyed” her twisted owner, Sweetie was put in a hot oven, flushed in a toilet, strangled with a TV cord and thrown against walls. Wade then made disturbing voice recordings of himself where he spoke in detail about carrying out the horrific abuse and proclaimed: “No one can be more evil than myself.” Despite the sickening cruelty, Sweetie miraculously survived the ordeal, but was hospitalised with severe third degree burns. Wade pleaded guilty to causing unnecessary suffering to an animal during his appearance at Teesside Magistrates’ Court. Stuart Haywood, prosecuting, said loner Wade, who has learning difficulties and autism, received Sweetie as a gift from his sister as she thought it would be “good for him”. The tabby was then given to Wade for a three week trial before possible adoption. But on October 8, 2019, Wade went to his sister’s home and told her the cat “was not wanted anymore”. Mr Haywood said his sister then went to Wade’s home where she “smelled a strong smell of burning”. “The defendant was sitting on a settee and the cat was wet and breathing rapidly, he refused to say why,” he said. He added that fur was then found in Wade’s oven. After more questions, Wade finally admitted what he had done, saying that it “felt good”. His sister immediately notified the RSPCA and Sweetie was taken to a vet where she was found to be in a “terrible condition”. She had sustained skin damage and “significant” third degree burns before being hospitalised. The police soon became involved and Wade was arrested. Rambling voice recordings were later discovered of Wade speaking about the abuse. In the recordings, one of which was eight minutes long, he spoke in detail about attacking Sweetie. In one sinister recording he said, “No one can be more evil than myself” and said he wanted to “rip out its tongue” after seeing her struggle while being “choke slammed”. In another he referred to himself as “evil Tom”. In police interview, Wade said he “threw her against four walls” and said he carried out the violence in part because he claimed he heard voice in his head from the WWE wrestling character, Kane, in his head. Wade was also remorseless, telling officers “she had not suffered enough”. He said he put the terrified cat in the oven “on high for five minutes” after throwing her against a wall and said he became infuriated at Sweetie for “disobeying” his orders for her not to go under his bed. The court heard that Wade had “no mental health” issues, but did have learning difficulties. Matthew Agar, defending, said the incident was “shocking”, and said he “did not want to minimise” the offence. He said it was his view Wade’s learning disability was a “contributing factor” and that he had serious concerns for him. Mr Agar added that Wade was now aware of the severity of the offence and that he felt Wade had something like a “split-personality”. He said that Wade had moved to Teesside from Grimsby and would “go weeks” without any other contact with people. Sentencing Wade, district judge, Helen Cousins called him an “extremely dangerous man” and that she would liked to have “put him in prison for as long as I could”. Sentencing: 18-week prison sentence, suspended for two years. Six months of mental health treatment. 30 rehabilitation activity days and 18-week hospital curfew. £440 costs. Banned from keeping pets for 10 years (expires 2030). GazetteLive