Via the BBC: A woman who put her boyfriend’s cat in the washing machine and set it on full cycle has been given a four month suspended sentence. The cat died of heart failure and severe burns.

District judge Andrew Shaw, sitting at Llandudno magistrates’ court, told Hannon it was the worst act of animal cruelty he had dealt with.

So why not impose a custodial sentence? How much worse would it have to get before Andrew Shaw would or could impose one?