The kitten had an air gun pellet lodged in his skull

Richard Freeman, 18, of no fixed address, has been ordered to do 200 hours community work after admitting ill-treating the eight-week-old cat.

He is one of six people charged over the incident which took place in Stoke-on-Trent in August last year.

The male, black kitten has since recovered and has been re-homed.

Magistrates at Newcastle-under-Lyme were shown mobile phone footage released by the RSPCA, showing the kitten been thrown up and down stairs in a house in Anchor Road, Longton.

No normal human being would commit such an abhorrent act against a defenceless animal Magistrate Lynda Berrington

A group of people can be heard laughing as the kitten shrieks when it lands on the floor.

The court heard the kitten was shot in the eye by the group on the same day.

Magistrate Lynda Berrington said: "No normal human being would commit such an abhorrent act against a defenceless animal."

Emergency treatment

Prosecuting, Andrew Meachin said the cat was found by an RSPCA Inspector with a hole near its left eye.

He and another kitten were taken to a vet and the injured kitten underwent emergency treatment.

Freeman was also given a 12-month supervision order, ordered to pay �250 costs, �25 vets bills and banned from keeping an animal for 10 years.

The cat's owner, Debbie Brown, 18, of Cross Way, Crewe, has admitted two offences of causing unnecessary suffering to an animal. She will be sentenced on 17 July.

A 16-year-old girl, who cannot be identified, has been given a 12-month referral order after admitting aiding and abetting the incident.

Two boys, aged 14 at the time, were sentenced on 8 June, to 12-month supervision orders after admitting the same offence.

And a warrant has been issued for a 22-year-old man who failed to attend court over the matter.