Man sentenced to 18 weeks’ jail for brutally killing cat

25-year-old Fajar Ashraf Fajar Ali was sentenced to 18 weeks’ jail on the 13th of  March after having earlier pleaded guilty to two counts of animal abuse. He was accused of throwing a female shorthair cat from the 10th floor of a HDB block in Tampines Street 83, before slamming the feline on the ground until it was dead.

A resident who stayed at a neighbouring block heard noises coming from Block 884 and saw Fajar slamming the cat to the ground. By the time she reached the void deck, the cat was already motionless. She called the police, who managed to identify the killer through the use of CCTV footage, and Fajar was arrested five days later.

During his hearing, Fajar explained to the court that he left his house at around 1am to look for cats to play with. He lured the female shorthair cat to the lift and brought it to the 10th floor staircase landing. He managed to play with the cat for some time, afterwhich the feline tried to escape. Fajar lured it back with more food but when the cat returned to him, he tossed the cat over the ledge. He went downstairs and upon realising that it was still alive, the man flung the cat against the pavement twice to ensure that it was dead. Before he left, he also took out a lighter and lit it to check if the cat had died.

Fajar claimed that he committed these horrific acts because he was frustrated that the cats did not want to follow him or go near him.

District Judge May Mesenas explained that the 18-weeks sentence was given to deter others from committing similar acts of violence against animals. Other factors were also taken into account during the sentencing, such as the fact that it was Fajar’s first offence, and that he pleaded guilty at the first opportunity.

First time offenders of animal cruelty could be fined up to $15,000, serve a jail time of up to 18 months, or both.