Sunderland murderer stabbed family parrot to death just two years before student killing

Murderous Aaron Ray stabbed to death the family parrot two-and-a-half years before he turned his rage on his student lover.
By Karon Kelly
Published 21st Mar 2023, 16:11 GMT
Updated 21st Mar 2023, 17:31 GMT
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Ray was just 18 when he plunged a knife into the animal's back leaving the pet with catastrophic injuries.

RELATED: Sunderland killer who stabbed his lover to death after seeing sex chat facing life sentence for murder

Officers found the dead bird after being called to the address in South Hylton after reports of a disturbance in January 2020.

Aaron Ray was sentenced at South Tyneside Magistrate's Court after admitting to the killing of his family's pet bird.Aaron Ray was sentenced at South Tyneside Magistrate's Court after admitting to the killing of his family's pet bird.
Aaron Ray was sentenced at South Tyneside Magistrate's Court after admitting to the killing of his family's pet bird.

When questioned, Ray insisted: "It's just a bird, it's not a crime."

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He pleaded guilty at South Tyneside Magistrates' Court to causing unnecessary suffering to an animal, receiving a 12-week sentence, suspended for one year and handed a 15-year ban from owning animals.

At the time, PC Peter Baker, wildlife officer at Northumbria Police, said: "Aaron Ray showed a total disregard for the welfare of this bird and inflicted catastrophic injuries that it could not survive from.

"This kind of behaviour is not only reckless and upsetting, but a criminal offence and that's the lesson that Ray now must learn.

"We are a nation of animal lovers, so it is upsetting to come across incidents such as this where the defendant has caused inevitable and unnecessary suffering to an animal."