An unemployed widower and father of three, who previously went viral for abusing a kitten, has been sentenced to prison. The incident occurred on Thursday (2 April), when he was spotted throwing the kitten against a wall at a laundromat.
Today (7 April), the man broke down in tears at the Kajang Sessions Court as he was sentenced to six months in jail for his cruel actions. This custodial sentence was triggered after he failed to pay a fine of RM60,000.
Court proceedings and charges
According to a report by Sinar Harian, 49-year-old Toh Teck Hooi pleaded guilty to the charge read out before Judge Khainur Aleeza Ismail. The accused was charged with cruelly abusing a black male kitten by repeatedly throwing it against a wall and a mattress at a laundromat in Taman Kajang Prima.
The charge was brought under Subsection 29(1)(a) of the Animal Welfare Act 2015 and is punishable under Subsection 29(1) of the same Act. The law provides for a fine of between RM20,000 and RM100,000, imprisonment for up to three years, or both, upon conviction.
The case was led by Prosecuting Officer Mohd Sharif Sabran from the Department of Veterinary Services (DVS), while the accused was not represented by legal counsel.
Evidence of abuse shared online
The facts of the case reveal that on the day of the incident, the accused uploaded a 59-second video to his social media account documenting the offence. A day later, Animal Welfare Officers from the Selangor DVS conducted an inspection at the scene.
A preliminary examination of the kitten revealed a suspected injury to its right hind leg, as the animal showed signs of physical distress when touched. The kitten was also described as appearing lethargic and inactive.
What do you think about this? Feel free to share your thoughts in the comments section.
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