By Dorcas Ting
KUCHING, Jan 2: A 38-year-old man pleaded not guilty at the Magistrates’ Court here today to a charge of mischief for allegedly killing a cat by beating it with a piece of wood along Jalan Astana.
The charge, framed under Section 428 of the Penal Code, was read before Magistrate Ling Hui Chuan. If convicted, the offence carries a penalty of up to three years’ imprisonment, a fine, or both.
The court set Feb 10 for pre-trial case management and granted the accused bail of RM4,500, with two local sureties required.
According to the charge, the man is accused of committing the act at a 24-hour self-service laundrette on Jalan Astana at about 12.17pm on Dec 30.
Deputy public prosecutor Ahmad Fauzulutfi Suriani appeared for the prosecution, while the accused was not represented by counsel.
The man was arrested yesterday (Jan 1) following public outrage over a video showing the fatal assault on a stray cat, which circulated widely on social media earlier in the week.
A police report was lodged by a concerned member of the public at the Tabuan Jaya police station the day after the video went viral.
Kuching police chief ACP Alexson Naga Chabu said investigations confirmed the suspect’s involvement in the incident, adding that he tested positive for drugs at the time of his arrest. – DayakDaily
