Man accused of abusing 5 cats, including throwing them down from HDB blocks and killing them
File photo of a stray cat. (Photo: iStock)
SINGAPORE: A man faces charges for abusing five cats including throwing two of them down from Housing Board blocks and stomping on a cat's neck, killing it.
Barrie Lin Pengli, 30, returned to court on Wednesday (Feb 1) to face his charges.
He has five charges under the Animals and Birds Act for various types of animal cruelty against five cats in Ang Mo Kio between April 2020 and December 2021.
According to the charges, Lin caused unnecessary suffering to a cat at about 1.50am on Apr 18, 2020 by confining it in a small waterproof bag.
He allegedly did this at Block 544, Ang Mo Kio Avenue 10.
Three days later, he allegedly threw another cat down from the 12th storey of Block 572, Ang Mo Kio Avenue 3 at about 3.30am.
The cat died.
Lin also allegedly confined a third cat in a small waterproof bag with limited ventilation at about 4.30am on Apr 21, 2020, at Block 207, Ang Mo Kio Avenue 1.
At about 3.30am on May 15, 2020, Lin allegedly threw a fourth cat from the eighth storey of Block 645, Ang Mo Kio Avenue 6.Â
He later stomped on the animal's neck, resulting in its death, charge sheets stated.
Lin is also accused of picking up a fifth cat and slamming it twice against a wall. This allegedly occurred at about 5.17am on Dec 27, 2021, at Block 645, Ang Mo Kio Avenue 6.
Lin is represented by lawyer Azri Imran Tan from IRB Law.
On Wednesday, he updated the court to say the Institute of Mental Health required a private psychiatrist report before IMH can produce a forensic report.
The private psychiatrist report on Lin will be ready by the end of February, and Mr Tan said he would forward it to IMH thereafter.
He said his client begins a new job on Feb 15, and is following up with treatment with his private psychiatrist.
Lin is out on bail of S$5,000 and will return to court in March.
The penalties for animal cruelty under the Animals and Birds Act are a jail term of up to 18 months, a fine of up to S$15,000, or both.
