UK: 54-year old ex-security guard stabs 16 cats; sentenced to 5 years in prison

A former security guard from Brighton, UK  has been sentenced to over 5 years for fatally stabbing 9 cats and brutally attacking 7 others. Steve Bouquet knifed 9 cats between 2018 to mid 2019 in Brighton, which is about 80 kilometres from the South of London. He was found guilty after a trial of possessing a knife in public and 16 counts of criminal damage in relation to the cats — a crime that carries a higher sentence than animal cruelty, the Associated Press reported.

The 54-year-old was arrested for animal cruelty after being captured on a CCTV set by an owner of a dead cat. The owners decided to set up security cameras after they found the carcasses of their pets on the porch. Bouquet was convicted after prosecutors found photos of dead cats in his phone and his DNA on the knife, which was also bespattered with feline blood.  Initially, Bouquet denied involvement in the attacks.

Prison term of 5years and 3 months for Bouquet

Steve Bouquet was presented in the Hobe Crown Court on July 30, Friday, which was presided over by Judge Jeremy Gold. Judge Gold called Bouquet's behaviour to be "cruel" and his act was "struck at the very heart of family life." Meanwhile, the motive behind the crime is still unclear. "None of us can comprehend what drove Bouquet to do this to family pets," Senior Prosecutor with the Crown Prosecution Service, Jayne Cioffi told AP.

The horrific incident has been quite tragic for the owners involved, she added. "Not only did Steve Bouquet inflict horrendous suffering to each of the animals he attacked, but he also caused real trauma to their owners, many of whom found their beloved pets injured and bleeding,” she concluded.

Cat owners recall incident during trial

Bouquet has been dubbed as the 'Brighton Cat Killer,' since lawsuits were filed against him. The cat owners, during the court trial, expressed their grief by explaining the impact of their deceased pets. One of the dead kitty's owners, Catherine Mattock, said that she couldn't stop thinking about her pet after she found her "covered in blood." Another owner, Emma Sullivan told the court that she was "completely distraught" after she found her cat, Gizmo lying dead on the pavement. Some owners also felt "guilty" for letting their cats out.

(Input: AP)