A woman has opened up about living in fear for her cat's life after a sick predator sliced off its ears - which lead a police investigation to a grim trail that revealed a murder.
Georgina Barnes, 30, has revealed that after she alerted police that a sick cat mutilator was prowling the streets of Norwich, she never expected that the investigation would take cops all the way to London and Merseyside - and the scene of a grisly murder.
Speaking to The Sun, the playworker, has recalled the moment her family’s nightmare unfolded in April 2019, and how it all led to a would-be serial killer being caught by cops, and how the sick action on her feline must have been a "practice run for something more sinister".
The mum-of-two - to Alissa, 14, and Scarlett, six - said that she was enjoying a movie night with her eldest daughter at home in Norwich. Her youngest, she said, was at her mum's place for a sleepover.
Just as the pair were getting settled in for a girls night in, they heard the front door rattle, which the 30-year-old says is her cat's, Bubba, signature trick to let the family know that he wants to be let in.
As her 14-year-old went to open the door, the mum says that Bubba did not act suspicious in any way and instead stretched out on the sofa and dozed off.
Georgina continued to say that as the pair were to engrossed in the film, they did not pay much attention to the sleepy cat.
All of a sudden, a flash of red against Bubba's white fur caught the mum's eye.
She said: “I moved in for a closer look and had to stifle a scream. Bubba had a five-inch gash in his side, exposing muscle and fat," but despite this Georgina said that he was not acting as if he in any pain or agony.
Immediately, Georgina called out for partner Dee Brown, 36, as she initially thought that her beloved pet had been hit by a car.
However, after Dee gave Bubba a thorough check through, he made a horrifying discovery, with Georgia saying that part of one of his ears was missing.
She then asked a neighbour to borrow a cat carrier in order to take the pet to the vets.
But as she was at the house next-door, she said that they too informed the mum that Bubba's ears had been 'nearly severed', with the neighbour adamant that someone had done this to him deliberately.
Once at the emergency vet, Georgina revealed that she was left relieved to hear that her pet would survive, but needed stitches.
However, she was left shocked to hear the veterinary's grim diagnosis - that the cat had been tortured.
The 30-year-old explained that the veterinary surgeon told her that Bubba's ears were cut off "too neat and tidy", adding that they thought it had been done with a knife.
As Bubba, now nine, recovered at the vet, Georgina went on to gave a statement to the police, warning the officer they had to catch the culprit before things escalated too far.
But cops were left with little to go by as there was only a rough time and date given to them.
Adamant to warn others though, Georgina posted a warning on a local pets group on Facebook, adding that she did this because she feared that whoever slashed Bubba was still out there.
She said she was left in complete fear and shock following the attack, and grew more conscious towards strangers she passed in the street, and even jumped at shadows.
Over the next few weeks, Georgina’s worst fears began to come true as reports surfaced on in local papers and on social media of other cats being mutilated - with one cat showing up on its owner's doorstep just like Bubba.
Other kittens body parts were found in an allotment, while another was found dead.
Georgina said: “Our sleepy neighbourhood was turning into something out of a sick horror movie."
Then, police had a breakthrough after a man was spotted trying to stuff a cat into a bag - but reportedly did a runner when he was challenged.
Just a few days later, cops arrested David Iwo.
He was due in Norwich Magistrates Court in February last year, after being accused of causing unnecessary suffering to an animal. However, he did not turn up.
A month later, Georgina had a call from Witness Care, who told her Iwo was in custody after being arrested on suspicion of a more serious offence - the murder of pensioner Martin Decker.
The would-be serial killer battered the trusting pensioner to death with a hammer after tricking his way into his home by posing as a rent boy.
Georgina said that her heart sank when the news broke, but despite knowing she was blameless, she also felt so guilty and could not stop wondering if she could have done more to stop Iwo.
In September last year Iwo, from Norwich, pleaded guilty to murder at Preston Crown Court.
A month later, he appeared at Norwich Crown Court by video link, and was accused of five animal cruelty charges - including the attack on Bubba - plus two counts of attempted theft of cats.
Iwo refused to enter pleas, and instead shockingly told the court: “I don’t care about this case. F**k your cats.”
He went on to boast that he mutilated as many as 30 pets, informing the court that he would tell them where the ears could be found too.
In November last year, Iwo was finally failed for life with a minimum of 33 years.
The court heard how Iwo had gone on the run after his cat torture spree in Norwich, and went on to pose as a sex worker online.
Retired lawyer Mr Decker, 69, found Iwo's profile on the internet, and offered him £250 for a two-hour session at his flat on the Wirral, Merseyside.
But things took a horrific turn when Iwo arrived to the 69-year-olds house and bludgeoned him to death with a hammer. He also stole cash and electrical items, before fleeing to Dartford, Kent, where he was staying with a woman.
However, it has been reported that she grew frightened of Iwo and called the police on him when he refused to leave the home. But at that stage, officers had no reason to suspect the homeless 24-year-old and sent him on his way.
Later in March 2021, Iwo was identified through CCTV and was tracked down to a hotel in London. When police raided his room, they found Mr Decker’s watch and laptop..
And a return visit to the address in Dartford by cops turned up another chilling find - a blood-stained claw hammer which was stashed under the cushion of a sofa.
Iwo boasted to detectives that he would have never stopped at killing and robbing gay men.
He even told doctors that murder was a progression from his ‘hobby’ of mutilating cats - just as Georgina had chillingly predicted.
In fact, in a latter to a psychiatrist, he wrote that he got a kick out of watching cats struggle ad he murdered them.
Since the horrifying ordeal, Bubba had made a full recovery.
However, Georgina still worries about him every time he leaves the home, saying that it is hard for her to believe that anyone could be so cruel to humans or pets.
