HOW TO CATCH A CAT KILLER
ITV, 9pm; not STV
In late 2018 cat owners in Brighton, West Sussex, became concerned about a series of stabbings and mutilations of their pets. Eventually loner Steven Bouquet, a 52-year-old shopping-centre security guard, was jailed for 16 attacks, but the actual number of cat killings is thought to be far higher. Carly Aston’s film shows how Bouquet was brought to justice after one woman, Wendy, decided to take action; with a group of other area residents she alerted pet owners to the danger lurking in their locality, and one installed CCTV outside his home. Just a few months later, Bouquet was caught on camera during an attack – the breakthrough which stumped officers needed. For officers, this wasn’t just about the cats. While it was distressing for pet owners – “It was like finding out the boogie man was real” – detectives were concerned that the attacks were becoming more violent, and a clearly disturbed person was stalking Brighton’s streets armed with a knife. The film references another case of cat mutilations in Norwich, where the man responsible went on to commit murder. The topic is gruesome (although thankfully we see little to offend) but it’s uplifting to see how community action and police work can get real results.