38yo man sentenced 11 months for killing cat at Jalan Astana laundrette

Prison cell. — DayakDaily.com file pic. // Image by Ichigo121212 from Pixabay

By Dorcas Ting

KUCHING, Feb 25: A 38-year-old man was sentenced to 11 months’ imprisonment after admitting to killing a cat at a 24-hour self-service laundrette along Jalan Astana late last year.

Magistrate Nursyaheeqa Nazwa Radzali handed down the sentence at the Magistrate’s Court after the accused changed his plea to guilty.

He had initially denied the charge when it was first read to him.

The custodial sentence was imposed under Section 428 of the Penal Code, which provides for a jail term of up to three years, a fine, or both upon conviction.

Court proceedings revealed that the incident occurred at approximately 12.17pm on Dec 30, 2025.

Police investigations began after a member of the public lodged a report upon seeing a video circulating on Facebook. The footage allegedly showed a man repeatedly striking a sleeping cat inside the laundrette with a stick, resulting in the animal’s death.

Acting on the report, police arrested the accused on Jan 1, 2026. Further investigation confirmed that the act was clearly captured on the shop’s CCTV system.

A witness who was present during the incident testified that he saw the cat being killed and later assisted the accused in burying the carcass.

It was revealed in court that the accused acted out of anger, claiming he had been bitten by a cat in the same area earlier.

Deputy Public Prosecutor Mohamad Afiq Safly Nor Kazly represented the prosecution, while the accused appeared in court without legal counsel. — DayakDaily