Yishun cat abuse suspect out on bail
The 40-year-old man suspected of killing a cat in Yishun was granted bail today (Jan 19). Photo: Koh Mui Fong
SINGAPORE — The 40-year-old man suspected of killing a cat in Yishun was granted bail today (Jan 19), after being remanded at the Institute of Mental Health (IMH) for psychiatric assessment for three weeks.
Lee Wai Leong, who is represented by lawyer Josephus Tan, faces one count of animal cruelty for allegedly hurling a cat from the 13th floor of a Housing and Development Board flat on Oct 30 last year.
Having received the IMH report on Lee, Deputy Public Prosecutor Lee Zu Zhao requested four weeks to “assess the matter and tie up investigative loose ends”.
A pre-trial conference has been set on Feb 15. Bail was fixed at S$10,000, under the condition that Lee had to surrender his travel documents.
Over the last three months, at least 20 cats have been found abused or dead in Yishun. A day after Lee was charged, another cat was found dead, with blood streaming for its ears and mouth.
Law Minister K Shanmugam, also a Member of Parliament in Nee Soon GRC, helped Lee’s family to find a lawyer. In a Facebook post on this, he explained that Lee has a child-like mentality and suffers from epileptic fits and seizures.
The accused is the first person to be charged under the amended Animals and Birds Act, which states that anyone found guilty of animal cruelty for the first time can be fined up to S$15,000, jailed up to 18 months, or both. For subsequent offences, the penalty can go up to S$30,000, a jail term of up to three years, or both.
