Inmate admits jail stabbing over cat

A Rimutaka Prison inmate has pleaded guilty to a charge of causing grievous bodily harm after he stabbed a fellow prisoner who scared a cat he had befriended.

Gary Lawrence McKinley, 48, was nearing the end of his prison term after serving more than 20 years of a life sentence, when he attacked cellmate Peter Biddle for scaring the feral cat.

McKinley was jailed in 1987 for the rape and murder of New Plymouth jogger Wendy Snowdon, 23.

On Boxing Day last year, McKinley stabbed Biddle twice in the neck and once in the chest with a 12cm kitchen knife as Biddle was watching Coronation Street.

He pleaded guilty to the charge in Upper Hutt District Court yesterday, the Dominion Post reported.

The attack was sparked after Biddle entered the living room he shared with McKinley in the prison's minimum-security unit, startled the cat and caused it to scamper away.

McKinley later told a prison manager: "I would do anything to protect the cat, it's all I've got.

"I have nothing on the outside, he threatened to kill my cat (and) I don't care if he dies."

The two men were prisoners in the self-care unit used to prepare long-term inmates for release.

Police believe he would have killed Biddle if another inmate had not wrestled McKinley to the ground, smashing the blade in the process.

After being interviewed by police in January, McKinley admitted he stopped the attack only because he thought the blade had broken off in Biddle's body.

Police said McKinley showed no remorse and had said he wanted to "cut off (Biddle's) head and kick it around".

In court yesterday, he was remanded in custody to reappear in Wellington District Court on July 31 for sentencing.

- NZPA