A former Newham primary school teaching assistant who brutally killed two cats at Christmas has been banned from owning pets for five years.

Ade Akere, 35, strangled his wife’s cat Louis at their former home in Ilford on Christmas Day, before stabbing him and putting him in a bucket of paint.

He left the bucket outside a nearby school.

Akere then asked to borrow Tom, his neighbour’s four-year-old cat, under the pretence letting him play with Louis in the early hours of Boxing Day.

Once in his house, he killed Tom and decapitated him with a kitchen knife.

His wife alerted the police who recovered the bodies of both animals.

In interview, Akere claimed he had carried out the killings because he thought cats were evil.

Akere has worked as a teaching assistant at Tollgate Primary, in Barclay Road, Plaistow.

A school spokeswoman said: “Before this incident took place, Mr Akere was suspended from the school in October due to ill health.

Appearing in Barkingside Magistrates on January 2, Akere plead guilty to two counts of causing unnecessary suffering to a protected animal and one count of possession of a class B drug.

He also plead guilty to a further charge of failing to surrender to court for sentencing on January 24.

He was also ordered to complete a 30-day Rehabilitation Activity Requirement, pay £100 in compensation to each victim and a restraining order not to contact either cat owner for three years was imposed.

“Right now my mind is melting down,” said the owner of late cat Tom after the hearing.

He added: “It’s doesn’t feel like Tom, myself, Louis or [Louis’ owner] have gained justice.”

“I believe the police and the prosecutors did their best.

“All of that aside this still feels hollow.

“The sentencing was a joke played out for the rights of animals and a total disregard for their owners emotions and the effect this crime has had on my life.”

The owner received Tom from his brother three year’s ago and when his brother’s partner developed allergies.

Tom’s owner, who wished not to be identified, spoke of his close bond to his late cat.

“He was awesome,” he said.

“One time he came inside and began meowing to me with human-like sentence pauses.

“My lodger came in to the room to say ‘is he talking to you?’”

He was handed a 12-week sentence suspended for 12 months and banned from owning or looking after animals for five years at Barkingside Magistrates’ Court today (March 21).

“Ade Akere viciously attacked two defenceless animals over the course of a few hours,” said District Crown Prosecutor Simon Stanyer.

“The owners of the pets were understandably distressed by these attacks but I hope they will be able to take some comfort from the fact that Akere will not be able to own a pet anytime in the near future.”