A British man was found guilty of stabbing 16 domestic cats in southern England, local police confirmed. The Sussex police called the crime “wild”. During the trial, the jury learned of his month-long rampage to chase and injure local cats.
Steve Bouquet, a security guard, attacked domestic cats over a nine month period from 2018 to 2019. Nine cats were stabbed and the seven remaining survived the brutal injuries. Bouquet was caught with the help of a CCTV camera that caught him during an attack. He will be sentenced on July 12th.
Chief Superintendent Nick May, division commander for Brighton and Hove, said the knife wounds had “devastating effects” on cats and owners in the area. Tina Randall, whose 11-year-old cat was injured by Bouquet in 2018, recalled the experience of finding him during the trial. “It was fading and when I picked it up, blood spurted out,” she said. The cat’s vet bills are over £ 1,600.
A jury found Bouquet guilty of damage to property and possession of a knife in the 16 offenses. Commenting on the verdict, Judge Jeremy Gold QC said, “I suggest that it was only during the lockdown that it became particularly clear how very many of us who have pets rely on them for company and comfort and can be just imagine how much suffering they caused the owners of these different cats in this case at the mere thought of stabbing their beloved pet with a knife. “
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