May 25 – French international defender Kurt Zouma (pictured) has pleaded guilty to animal welfare offences over video footage showing him attacking one of his cats.
Zouma was fined two weeks’ salary by his club West Ham in February while an animal welfare charity took custody of both his pets after harrowing video filmed by Zouma‘s brother Yoan and posted on social media went viral. It showed Zouma dropping the tabby cat and kicking it across the floor. He is also seen slapping the animal and hurling a shoe at it, before chasing it around his property.
Zouma pleaded guilty to two counts of causing unnecessary suffering to a protected animal when he appeared in court with his brother on Tuesday after a prosecution was brought by the animal welfare charity the RSPCA. Sentencing was adjourned until June 1
The court was told about disturbing footage of the incident, filmed at Zouma’s home in which he could be seen volleying the Bengal cat across his kitchen. Prosecutor Hazel Stevens told the court Zouma could be heard saying: “I swear I’ll kill it, I swear I’ll kill it.”
West Ham made donations to nine animal welfare charities in the UK and overseas but were criticised for allowing Zouma to playing for the club soon after the incident.
Speaking after Tuesday’s hearing, RSPCA chief inspectorate officer Dermot Murphy said: “It’s never acceptable to treat an animal in this way and we were shocked when the video was first brought to our attention.
“What makes this case even more sad is the way the video was filmed and shared, making light of such cruelty. We hope this case will serve as a reminder that all animals deserve to be treated with kindness.”
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