An Irish banker living in New York has been arrested after allegedly torturing his roommate’s cat over a period of three months.
The cat, named Lucy, is in intensive care and has already undergone $12,000 (€10,900) worth of medical treatment.
Declan Garrity, from Omagh, was put on leave by Barclays following the arrest, US news company CNBC reported.
Reports said the cat was found to have suffered a dislocated and fractured bone in her leg, several broken ribs, broken teeth, burns across various areas of her body, as well as broken claws.
According to a criminal complaint filed by the Manhattan District Attorney’s office, Mr Garrity (24), an analyst who was in New York on a work visa, moved into an apartment on Manhattan’s Upper East Side in November.
Shortly afterwards, his roommate allegedly noticed a change in her cat’s behaviour – she allegedly hid in a closet, constantly licked her paws and refused food.
The document states the cat was found to have a broken pelvis following an incident in January which Mr Garrity allegedly told his roommate involved an iron falling on her.
A subsequent incident involved the roommate allegedly returning home to find her cat hiding in its carrier bag, damp, missing fur and with her foot facing in the wrong direction.
Mr Garrity spoke to detectives and was later charged with torturing and injuring animals and with two counts of aggravated cruelty to animals.
Mr Garrity was remanded on bail of €5,000 in Manhattan Supreme Court on Thursday and is due back in court on Monday.