Tobias Ellwood, MP for Bournemouth East, hit the cat while driving on a country road near his £1million pound home. Unaware that he had hit the pet, he was subsequently targeted by local vigilantes who threw eggs at his house and smashed his windows.
It was recently revealed that police had been called to investigate the incident after windows of the MP’s converted barn were smashed with croquet mallets and eggs were thrown.
A neighbor, who declined to be named, explained why Mr. Ellwood didn’t stop after hitting the cat.
The neighbor said: “Apparently he only knew afterwards that he had done it.”
Other neighbors, however, were less sympathetic to the MP.
Julie Holland, 61, who lives opposite Stephanie Hawa – the cat’s owner – claimed the entire village was aware of the incident.
She told the Daily Mail: “Tobias Ellwood ran over the cat a few weeks ago. Everyone in the village is talking about it.
“It is a shame. It’s a Bengal cat that used to come across the road to play with my cat Boris, who is named after the Prime Minister. People drive so fast here, even though there’s a sign with a 30 mph limit.”
She claimed she was aware of the attacks on Mr Ellwood’s house and said if it was her cat she would have done something.
READ MORE: Supervolcano horror warning: ‘world’s most active’ volcano is rising
“Agents have investigated and the parties involved have been identified and spoken to. After consultation with all parties, the matter was settled through a community resolution. No arrests have been made.”
The MP had reportedly offered to replace the animal.
Mr Ellwood was hailed a hero in 2017 after trying to save the life of PC Keith Palmer when he was stabbed by terrorist Khalid Masood outside Westminster.
Despite Mr. Ellwood – who is a former soldier and trained as a combat medic – and the best efforts of the emergency services, PC Keith Palmer died at the scene.