A 31-year-old man was sentenced to twenty days in jail for neglecting 43 cats in a vacant flat, marking Singapore’s largest animal cruelty prosecution to this point.
Muhammad Danial Sukirman pleaded responsible to inflicting “unnecessary pain and suffering” to animals by failing to offer meals, water and a focus between August and November 2021.
He admitted to sometimes feeding the cats and neglecting their welfare, in accordance with court docket paperwork first reported by Today Online. He additionally admitted that the setting wherein the cats had been left was filthy, posing well being dangers to each the cats and close by residents in an house in Ang Mo Kio in Singapore.
Prosecutors famous that “it is a case that has set its own precedent” and argued {that a} positive could be “far too lenient” for Mr Sukirman. They sought a jail time period given his “deliberate” conduct realizing that the cats had been breeding uncontrollably and but he saved the residing situations poor.
According to the court docket paperwork, Mr Sukirman regretted his actions however choose Lorraine Ho agreed with prosecutors to ship him to jail, stating that his actions posed well being hazards to the neighbourhood.
The case first got here to gentle when authorities responded to public suggestions a few foul scent emanating from Mr Sukirman’s flat.
They discovered greater than 30 cats and skeletal stays contained in the house.
Mr Sukirman admitted to proudly owning the cats and surrendered them to the authorities. He claimed that the cat inhabitants had grown uncontrolled after the dying of his mother-in-law, resulting in neglectful situations.
During inspections by the authorities, it was discovered that the cats lacked access to wash water and had been fed sometimes, resulting in fights over meals.
Several cats confirmed indicators of harm, infestation, and illness, the court docket paperwork revealed.
In July 2021, Mr Sukirman secured a brand new flat in a brand new neighbourhood and had six months to go away his old one the place the cats had been. The household moved to the brand new flat in Yishun in August, however Mr Sukirman reportedly didn’t organize to rehome the cats, leaving them behind within the vacant house.
“He also did not visit the said flat regularly nor to provide the cats with food and water on a daily basis due to his long working hours and poor management of finances, [being] in heavy debt,” the prosecutors mentioned.
In Singapore, every cost of inflicting pointless ache or struggling to a pet carries a most penalty of 18 months’ imprisonment or a positive of as much as £8,818, or each.