Cat killer caged for cruelly taking nine lives
The Northern Bangkok Court yesterday handed down an 18-month prison term to a motorcycle taxi driver after finding him guilty of brutally killing stray cats he had adopted.
The court yesterday read out its decision against Panuwat Singsahut, 26 who was charged with violating the Cruelty Prevention and Welfare of Animals Act. He admitted killing the cats.
Prosecutors accused Panuwat of killing nine cats that he had adopted from an animal shelter by smashing them against a wall in July.
Police and forensic officers searched Panuwat’s apartment on Lat Phrao Road in August where they found more than 20 cat carcasses in nearby waste containers.
The man told police he usually put the cats’ bodies in rubbish bins or left them on the apartment’s mezzanine floor.
Wanwaree Wattanawiboon, an official from a local shelter, lodged a complaint with police against Panuwat, accusing him of cruelty to animals. Ms Wanwaree said her shelter used Facebook to help stray cats and encourage people to adopt animals in need.
Panuwat had contacted the shelter in July, asking to adopt some cats.
People who knew Panuwat said he had a fiery temper and had been cruel to animals; they made his behaviour known on the Facebook page of Watchdog Thailand, an organisation that aims to protect animals.
The court said Panuwat violated the act as he intended to kill the animals he had adopted.
He was sentenced to one-and-a-half years in jail. He was originally handed a 36-month jail term which was commuted to 18 months as he confessed to the crime, according to the court ruling.
The court said it decided not to suspend the sentence because Panuwat had previously been convicted and jailed. Before the verdict, Panuwat had been released on bail of 20,000 baht.
Panuwat was at the court yesterday to hear the court’s ruling along with his family and relatives.