A court heard that West Ham United defender Kurt Zouma admitted to kicking and hitting his pet cat. When he appeared at Thames Magistrates’ Court in east London on Tuesday morning, the Premier League footballer pleaded guilty to two offences under the Animal Welfare Act (May 24).
Zouma, 27, was compelled to apologize when his younger brother Yoan, 24, videotaped and released horrifying footage. Yoan admitted one offense at the trial. The defendants will be sentenced next month.
According to the PA news agency, Hammers defender Zouma appeared in court in disorderly fashion, surrounded by many security personnel who emerged from a van with umbrellas to form a protective screen around the defendant. The brothers’ addresses have been withheld following a court order.
The court was shown frightening video of the event, which was shot at Zouma’s house and put on Snapchat by his brother on February 6. It was eventually discovered by a lady who had been texting Yoan, who alerted authorities.
Zouma was filmed volleying the Bengal cat around his kitchen before hitting its head with a pair of sneakers. According to prosecutor Hazel Stevens, Kurt Zouma could be heard shouting in court, “I vow I’ll kill it, I swear I’ll kill it.”
On February 6, he pleaded guilty to two charges of causing needless suffering to a protected species. Yoan pled guilty to one count of assisting, abetting, counseling, or procuring his older brother to commit a crime.
Ms Stevens, the prosecutor, said the 40-second video appeared to be carried out after the cats were found to be guilty for destroying a chair in the house. “Kurt Zouma is determined to scold or exact payback for the damage inflicted,” she stated.
The court was shown frightening video of the event, which was shot at Zouma’s house and put on Snapchat by his brother on February 6. It was eventually discovered by a lady who had been texting Yoan, who alerted authorities.
Zouma was filmed volleying the Bengal cat around his kitchen before hitting its head with a pair of sneakers. Kurt Zouma might be heard saying in court, according to prosecutor Hazel Stevens: “I swear I’ll kill it, I swear I’ll kill it.”
On February 6, he pleaded guilty to two charges of causing needless suffering to a protected species. Yoan pled guilty to one count of assisting, abetting, counseling, or procuring his older brother to commit a crime.
Ms Stevens, the prosecutor, said the 40-second video appeared to be carried out after the cats were found to be guilty for destroying a chair in the house. “Kurt Zouma is determined to scold or exact payback for the damage inflicted,” she stated.
Trevor Burke QC, defending the West Ham footballer, claimed his client had been fined £250,000 by his club and had lost a “significant” sponsorship contract with Adidas. He also stated that he had not been selected for the French national squad.
“A Google search will always expose the guilty plea and the video,” Mr Burke added. District Judge Susan Holdham postponed the sentencing hearing until June 1. Two further charges against the guys were dropped.
