Teenager admits assaulting mother and grandmother
A teenager has admitted squashing a cat until it squealed in pain then punching his mother and grandmother when they tried to stop him.
The women intervened after they saw Jai Craik, 18, squeezing the pet cat so hard that it screeched in agony.
Craik then flew into a violent rage and threw punches at the female members of his family, Perth Sheriff Court heard.
The 18-year-old, from Perth, admitted two charges of punching his mother Elizabeth Arfoui and gran Violet Craik.
Fiscal depute Tina Dickie told the court that the incident happened at Craik's home on 10 January.
She said: "They were within the living room. The accused was holding the family cat and began to squeeze it.
"The witnesses were aware the cat was in pain and in fact it cried out in pain. His mother went over to the accused and tried to take the cat from him. But the accused resisted. They became involved in a scuffle until the cat was freed."
She said Mrs Arfoui then put the cat in another room.
"The accused was in an enraged state and began to shout at his grandmother," Ms Dickie said. "His mother attempted to calm him down.
"He punched Violet Craik on the shoulder and back. He then began to shout at his mother. As she turned round to walk away he punched her on the back as well. "
Sheriff Lindsay Foulis said he accepted there were "issues" in Craik's background and that the situation had arisen from a background of family tensions.
He noted Craik had been out of trouble since the incident and admonished him.