A teenage mother-of-three who battled against post natal depression has been cleared of allowing a rabbit to starve to death.

Southend Magistrates acquitted the 17-year-old of causing unnecessary suffering to the animal. They concluded there was not enough evidence to prove she was responsible for looking after it.

The girl, who cannot be named for legal reasons, denied the charge.

She was 16 with a young baby, just a few weeks old, when she moved into a Westcliff flat, to join another friend she met at Southend Centre for the Homeless. The friend had earlier bought a rabbit for her own daughter.

However, the court heard the two girls started bickering, and last November, the friend decided to move out.

She was not allowed pets at her new flat, so she rehomed her cat with her father, and said she asked the defendant if she wanted to look after the rabbit, which had no name.

The friend also offered it to three other people but said she let the defendant keep it because she wanted it.

Meanwhile, the defendant said: "She asked me if I wanted the rabbit and I said no. I said she could leave it at the flat but that I couldn't feed it because I had enough problems of my own."

The defendant understood the friend and one of the friend's relatives would continue to look after it.

After moving out, the friend returned frequently to collect belongings and the two girls kept in touch.

The defendant said: "I had post natal depression. I had a baby about seven weeks old and was finding it very difficult to cope. I was on anti-depressants."

Often she stayed with other friends for several days. It was on her return from a week-long-visit that she came home to find the rabbit dead.

She contacted the friend and also rang Southend Council to ask for the animal's body to be removed.

However, the RSPCA became involved and a post mortem revealed the rabbit had died of starvation and dehydration.

By Katy Best

Reporter's e-mail: katy.best@notes.newsquest.co.uk

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