Edinburgh crime: Thug filmed drop-kicking her mother's cat banned from keeping animals after video goes viral

Edinburgh woman banned after shocking animal cruelty footage captured on neighbour’s CCTV

A callous thug who was filmed booting her own mother’s cat has been banned from keeping animals. Rebecca Gordon, named on court papers as Thomas Gordon, was recorded on CCTV viciously drop-kicking the defenceless animal following a row with her mother in January 2021.

The 30-year-old claimed she had kicked the six-year-old cat named Oreo after being bitten by the animal outside her mother’s home in the Bughtlin area of Edinburgh. Shocking footage of the attack was captured by a neighbour’s camera unit and was posted on Facebook where the images were said to have “gone viral”.

Gordon was later arrested and charged and she appeared in the dock at the Capital’s sheriff court on Tuesday, April 4, to plead guilty to causing an animal unnecessary suffering on January 4, 2021. Fiscal depute Sarah Noon told the court by “the incident had been captured on CCTV showing Ms Gordon committing the offence”.

Rebecca Gordon outside Edinburgh court

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Mrs Noon showed the 10 second clip to the court that showed Gordon picking the cat up then dropping it and kicking it on the body as it fell to the ground. The fiscal said following the footage going viral on social media platform Facebook the police and the Scottish SPCA were alerted. The court was told police officers attended the address and “checked the footage and the accused was identified”. During a police interview Gordon claimed the cat had bitten her and she had retaliated by kicking the animal.

Ms Noon said: “The cat is her mother’s cat and was six-years-old at the time and as far as I can see there was no injury to the cat itself. Clearly My Lord the cat appears to run away after being kicked. The court does have the power to make an animal banning order and given Ms Gordon has pIed guilty I would invite My Lord to make that order in the circumstances.”

Defending lawyer Julia McPartland said the incident took place against the background a family argument between Gordon and her mother. Ms McPartland said her client claimed “the cat had bitten her prior to this happening” and she had suffered “a momentary loss of temper” and lashed out at the animal. She added: “Thankfully, there doesn’t seem to be any lasting damage.”

Sheriff Frank Cowe said: “This was a very shocking incident and you must be accept there is great alarm and upset caused by actions like that.” Gordon, of Corstorphine, Edinburgh, was fined a total of £245 and banned from keeping or owning animals for the next two years. Gordon pleaded guilty to causing a protected animal, namely a cat, unnecessary suffering and did seize and kick the cat at an address in Bughtlin, Edinburgh on January 4, 2021.

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