This is the first picture of the parish councillor who resigned after he was accused of trying to blow up a neighbour’s cat.
James Garnor – seen in this exclusive snap holding a barbecued pig – stepped down from his post after footage went viral showing Suki, an 11-year-old tabby, being blasted off a bird table by an explosive device.
Mr Garnor is said to have used a remote-controlled detonator to deliberately target the beloved pet.
In a statement Whittlebury Parish Council in Northamptonshire confirmed Mr Garnor had ‘resigned on Friday February 7, with immediate effect’.
They added: ‘We understand the concerns raised by the community and want to assure everyone that we take all matters of animal welfare seriously.’
The resignation has divided opinion in the village – just south of the town of Towcester.
Nikki Elam, 46, whose cat was blown up twice in two separate incidents, branded him ‘sadistic’.
Another local, who only gave her name as Amelia said, from what she had heard, that she suspects he has also targeted squirrels at the bottom of his garden.
However, friends of Mr Garnor have defended him and one told MailOnline: ‘He wouldn’t harm a fly, he just meant to give the cat a fright.’
James Garnor – seen in this exclusive snap holding a barbecued pig – stepped down from his post after footage went viral showing Suki, an 11-year-old tabby, being blasted off a bird table by an explosive device
Mr Garnor is said to have used a remote-controlled detonator to deliberately target the beloved pet
Police were called and Mr Garnor attended a voluntary interview in which he was shown footage of the incident.
His semi-detached home was also visited by officers from Northamptonshire Police who decided in October 2023 that there was insufficient evidence to press criminal charges.
Instead, the matter was dealt with under anti-social behaviour legislation.
However, just a month after the police investigation was dropped another video surfaced in November 2023.
Once again Suki is seen leaping up onto a wooden bird table – believed to be in Mr Garnor’s elderly neighbour’s garden.
The cat has a brief rummage on the feeder until another explosive device – this time bigger and louder – detonates underneath her leaving her with badly singed whiskers.
Footage of the blast is replayed in slow motion.
Both videos are believed to have been filmed on CCTV set up by the former councillor and later WhatsApped to friends of his around the village.
Nikki the owner of the attacked cat, Suki, has spoken about the disturbing effect the attack has had on the animal who suffered visible injuries such as singed whiskers
Ms Elam believes that on each occasion Mr Garnor was watching and waiting and triggered the explosions himself on purpose.
She said: ‘The attacks were premeditated. I think he’s sadistic.’
‘He’s done it twice. The second time just after the police dropped a criminal investigation into him.
‘It was like a two fingers up at me – that he could do what he wanted.
‘I’m shocked that he was ever on the parish council. But he has experience with fireworks because I know that he’s helped set up a number of local Bonfire Night displays – including one in the village of Greens Norton.
‘The attacks have had a lasting effect on Suki. She used to come and sit for hours, cuddling and playing but now very rarely comes near you.’
Speaking near the village hall, Amelia, claimed Mr Garnor still targeting animals with explosives – this time local wildlife.
The shocking incident, captured on video, shows the cat being blasted after stepping into a birdhouse rigged with explosives
She said: ‘A number of people have told me that he has also been blowing up squirrels at the bottom of his garden.
‘I know someone who lives close to him and she told that they used to have about five squirrels leaping in and out of the trees at the bottom.
‘But there’s only one left. Nobody knows what’s happened to the other four. They’ve vanished over the last year or so.
‘He caused practically the whole village to be evacuated two years ago.
‘His neighbour’s shed – which is next to his – caught fire and the flames spread across the fence.
‘As firefighters were dampening the blaze on his shed they found tanks of acetylene which could have blown the whole village up.
‘We were all moved out of our homes for safety for several hours while the fire crews made it safe. Why he had such a dangerous gas stored in his shed is beyond me. It was highly irresponsible.’
Mr Garnor is understood to work in engineering and travels around the world but is normally based at home.
The attack is believed to have been carried out by Councillor James Garnor, and is one of at least two such occurrences that took place in the village of Whittlebury
He has so far remained tight-lipped and declined all offers to tell his side of the story.
But a friend of his who lives a few doors down from him spoke out anonymously said: ‘I’m really disappointed that he’s resigned – he must have been forced into it.
‘He’s done a lot of good for Whittlebury over the years and so it’s a great shame that he’s stepped down.
‘In my opinion he’s the victim of a witch-hunt by certain individuals who have targeted him for some reason.
‘I wouldn’t believe half of what you hear. There’s a lot of stories going around that are simply untrue.
‘He’s a kind and decent man who wouldn’t hurt a fly.
‘James has told me many times what happened. He told me that he only intended to scare the cat away from his neighbour’s bird table.
‘He didn’t mean to do any harm. He’s very intelligent but not what I would call worldly-wise and so it wasn’t perhaps the wisest move to wire up the bird feeder with a small explosive device.
‘But he’s not what he is being made out to be. Don’t forget all this happened in 2023. It’s been blown out of all proportion.’
