A delivery driver caught on camera stealing a family's cat is facing serious jail time after a judge said the crime was 'far too serious for just a financial penalty'.
Back in January, Carl Crowther, a maintenance worker, was expecting a delivery from Zara, but had to leave the house for a callout.
He initially wasn't concerned about not seeing his tabby cat Nora all day. After all, she was an outdoor cat and knew her way home.
But when there was no sign of her the next morning either, the family started to worry, and that's when Carl made a horrifying discovery on his Ring doorbell camera.
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He watched on, gobsmacked, as he saw 42-year-old driver Catalin Stancu dropping off his parcel before casually picking Nora up and making off with her in his car.
You can watch the unbelievable footage below:
The Crowther family, in a victim impact statement, told the court: "When we discovered that Nora had gone missing, we had no idea where she was, or whether she was injured or even alive.
"Finding out that she had been intentionally taken only increased our fear and emotional distress. Knowing that she had been taken from our garden, a place where she should have been safe, makes it even more shocking.
"For four days we were left in complete uncertainty as to her whereabouts and the emotional toll on our family was overwhelming.
"Nora is not just a pet, but she is a much-loved member of our family. To have something so important to us taken, felt unreal.
"We were worried that she could have been hurt, frightened, or worse."
West Yorkshire Police later tracked down and arrested Stancu after he messaged the family admitting that he had the cat.
During a court appearance in Bradford on Wednesday, he pleaded guilty and was warned that he could face jail time for his offence, although the judge admitted that there are no sentencing guidelines for a crime such as this.
However, the Pet Abduction Act 2024 ruled that pets are viewed as sentient beings rather than property, and it states that offenders could face as many as five years behind bars.
Stancu's sentencing has been adjourned to a later date by district judge Alexander Boyd.
He suggested that the offence is 'far too serious for just a financial penalty', although the cat's safe return could well work in the offender's favour.
Fortunately, Nora was back at home within three days and back with fellow cat Domino, with the family left extremely relieved that she was not left too distraught by her time away from home.
Carl said: "We are delighted, and very much relieved, that Nora is now back home.
"She does not seem fazed by the events of the past few days and is happily enjoying the extra treats and cuddles.
"We would like to thank everyone who has liked and shared the social media posts and news articles, we really didn't expect it to reach so far and wide. Everyone's kind comments have been appreciated.
"We [...] thank them, along with representatives from Amazon and Zara for their help in getting Nora home safely."
James Moorhouse