A jilted husband has tonight been found not guilty of stealing his ex wife's cat, sparking a massive manhunt.

Earlier today, Tracy Brewster broke down in the witness stand at ex-husband Jonathan Brewster's trial.

Mr Brewster, who has been separated from Tracy for two years, appeared before magistrates in Sevenoaks connection with the alleged ‘catnapping’.

The 45-year-old allegedly bundled Marmie the ginger Tom into his car while his estranged wife Tracy was at work.

Magistrates heard he emailed his brother the day before the cat went missing and said: "As for the divorce I'm going to ruin the bitch's life.

"I won't rest until she's lost everything like she did to me."

The Crown claim Brewster planned to take Marmie all the way back to his flat on the other side of London but he said he "felt bad" and dumped it 250 yards up the road.

"I didn't intend to hurt her feelings. I wanted Tracy back I wanted the whole thing back. I missed the cat like I missed everything..." - Jonathan Brewster

He allegedly took it from her home in Maidstone in July last year - and it was not found until November when it was spotted wandering near the M23 in Surrey.

Giving evidence Mr Brewster claimed he had taken Marmie in a bid to get Mrs Brewster to start up communications with him again, but changed his mind when the animal began to get stressed in his car.

He said: "I didn't intend to hurt her feelings. I wanted Tracy back I wanted the whole thing back. I missed the cat like I missed everything." He said he only intended to take Marmie back to his flat in Essex for a few days.

Magistrate Carole Findlay said: "We found the cat was owned by Mrs Brewster and initially you denied taking the cat but eventually admitted taking it from the doorstep and at some point released it."

"It went missing for 16 weeks however we did find that you didn't mean to permanently deprive Mrs Brewster of Marmalade and consider you not guilty."

Speaking outside court, Mrs Brewster said she was glad the CPS decided to pursue the case.

She said: "I'm very disappointed as I went through a horrendous ordeal.

"He admitted to taking the cat from my doorstep and then he was found at least 35 miles away. I think he wanted to hurt me.

"I knew there was a chance he'd get off but I wasn't expecting it so I'm very disappointed.

"I'm glad it went to court. People can't just go round taking people's animals because they're upset over a breakup. I think this court case would have cost tens of thousands."

Mrs Brewster added: "Marmie had lost a lot of body weight and I don't know how he survived. He's now got a kidney disorder and I'm getting through that. But I'm just so glad to have Marmie back and that's the most important thing."

The 52-year-old launched a major social media campaign to find her beloved pet and devoted all her spare time to it.

She enlisted a group of supporters dubbed 'Marmie's Army', organised marches and dressed up as Garfield to complete a 50-mile walk to raise awareness.

The campaign attracted over 3,500 followers including Made In Chelsea's Lucy Watson and actress Linda Robinson.

Posters and T-shirts with Marmie’s face on were printed and Miss Brewster even lost her job as a housekeeper as she led the 24-hour, seven-day-a-week quest to bring him home.

After a four-month search Marmie was found by a couple and returned to 52-year-old Tracy in an emotional reunion at her home in Haydon Close, Barming.

"I was devastated. I couldn't believe he would want to hurt me and Marmie in that way. I was searching for days..." - Tracy Brewster

Magistrates heard how the couple had been together for six years but separated for two and were trying to "rekindle" their relationship in early 2014.
Tracy then ended it for good and Brewster turned up at her door with a rucksack on July 12.

Tracy said she had received a text from him making it clear he had mistakenly thought she was at her son's wedding that day.

She had her locks changed but on July 21, she came home to find Marmie missing.

She phoned her sister-in-law who told her of the email Brewster had sent his brother.

The court heard that Tracy twice confronted Brewster about stealing the cat but each time he denied it and said it must have "gone off to die somewhere."

He helped Tracy put up posters and look for Marmie but she said he was "jealous" of the cat and was only using the opportunity to get closer to her.

She eventually "called his bluff" and told him a neighbour had CCTV of him taking the cat and Brewster called the police and told them he'd taken it.

Tracy broke down as she told the court: "I was devastated. I couldn't believe he would want to hurt me and Marmie in that way.

"I was searching for days. I texted John to say he'd been seen on CCTV, that my neighbour had CCTV and she was going to be back from holiday and look at the footage. The camera was fake but I hadn't realised that at the time.

"He texted me to say he'd taken Marmie and he hadn't hurt him and he was sorry."

Piers Restell, prosecuting, said Brewster admitted in a text that he had dumped the cat - but said it was only up the road and not in Surrey as Tracy suspected.

Mr Restell said: "He texted to say sorry, he hadn't hurt him and had put him on the corner of the estate and it was wrong to do it."

Tracy then reported the theft to the police and Brewster admitted taking the cat in a call to an operator after ringing the police but made no comment in interviews.

Tracy added: "He's more a house cat than a street cat.

"He was jealous of my cat. I don't know if he dumped him in Surrey, I don't know what he did with him.

"Why would he put him through that if he loves the cat?"

Brewster, a contracts manager for a property company, denied theft.

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