Two teenagers have confessed to tormenting a snake in Aberdeen which later died as a result of its injuries.
Owner Robert Norman went to his home in Marischal Court in the city centre and discovered his pet Esmerelda was missing.
And footage later circulated on social media of it being thrown around.
The video showed the woman throwing the animal across a road and the animal lying on a pavement afterwards.
The snake was eventually handed over to the police after being found at Aberdeen beach.
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Esmerelda was taken to the Scottish SPCA Drumoak Rescue and Rehoming Centre but despite the best efforts of staff involved died a short time later.
Today at Aberdeen Sheriff Court Frankie Kane and Yasmin Walker, known as Doherty, confessed to their role in tormenting the snake.
Kane, 19, confessed to causing the animal unnecessary suffering and throwing it on July 4 last year.
Doherty, 18, confessed to the same but also spinning the snake around and causing it to suffer injury.
Sheriff Graeme Buchanan deferred sentence on the pair in order to obtain reports.
The pair will return to court next month.
Afterwards, Scottish SPCA chief inspector John Carle said branded their conduct “despicable.”
He said: “We are pleased to hear Kane and Walker have plead guilty to causing unnecessary suffering to Esmerelda the snake.
“Treating any animal this way is despicable behaviour and the injuries caused ultimately led to the death of the poor snake.”
Esmerelda’s treatment is not the first to cause outrage in recent years.
In 2016, Daniel Innes and Jordan McIsaac killed two geckos in Aberchirder – dropping one on the floor and blitzing the other in a blender.
When they confessed to the crime at Banff Sheriff Court, they were ordered to take on charity work to show remorse but no organisation would take the pair. They were eventually locked up for nine months.