AN IRISH BANKER has been arrested after allegedly torturing his roommate’s cat over a three month period.
Declan Garrity from Omagh was arrested on Wednesday and charged with torturing and injuring animals and with two counts of aggravated cruelty to animals.
It’s understood that the 24-year-old was put on leave by Barclays following the arrest.
The cat, Lucy, is in intensive care and has already undergone €10,900 worth of medical treatment.
CNBC reports that Garrity moved into an apartment on Manhattan’s Upper East Side in November and his roommate noticed changes in the cat’s behaviour soon after.
It’s reported that Lucy started hiding in a closet, constantly licked her paws and refusing food.
A criminal complaint filed by the Manhattan District Attorney’s Office detailed how Lucy was found with a broken pelvis on 25 January but Garrity told his housemate that an iron had fallen on her.
However, last Saturday the roommate came home to find Lucy hiding in her carrier bag. The complaint states that the cat was damp and missing fur and that her foot was facing in the wrong direction.
A Go Fund Me page which has been set up to help with the costs of Lucy’s treatment says the cat has suffered from broken ribs, legs, burns, and teeth and claw damage.
Garrity was remanded on bail and is due back in court on Monday 29 February.
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