Retired cop fined for shooting cat, discharging firearm in public

KUALA LUMPUR: A retired policeman was fined RM6,500 by the Selayang Magistrate’s Court on Tuesday for committing mischief by shooting a tomcat after it ate his chickens and for discharging a firearm in a public place.

Magistrate Nik Fadli Nik Azlan imposed the fine on Zainol Abidin Md Zain, 65 after the man changed his plea to guilty during the case mention Tuesday.

On the charge of committing mischief, the court ordered him to pay an RM5,000 fine or six months in jail while for the second count, the court imposed an RM1,500 fine or two months in jail.

Zainol Abidin was charged with intentionally killing the cat using a shotgun in his orchard in Kampung Setia, Kuang, Selangor at 6.40 pm on July 1, 2020, under Section 428 of the Penal Code that carries a jail term of up to three years or a fine or both.

He was also charged with discharging a firearm in a public place using the same weapon at the same time and place under Section 39 of the Firearms Act 1960 (Act 206) and punishable under Section 43 of the same Act which provides for imprisonment not exceeding one year or RM2,000 fine or both.

Deputy public prosecutor Nur Shasha Hidayah Nor Azahar urged the court to mete out appropriate punishment to serve as a lesson to the accused as he had no reason to shoot the cat which did not pose any danger to anyone.

“Although the accused has a license to own a firearm, his act of firing in a public place and killing a cat is unnecessary,” she said.

Lawyer Azman Abdullah, representing the accused, when appealing for leniency said his client had repented and promised not to repeat the offence. Bernama