Cat killer pleads guilty to animal cruelty charges

The man who killed a number of cats a few months ago has pleaded guilty to animal cruelty charges, as well as slightly injuring police officers.

Japanese national Okamura Satoshi, a 31-year-old who lives in Sliema, was arrested on 1 August in connection with a series of cat killings across several localities. 

The issue was first brought to light on 17 June on Facebook after cats were attacked and killed in the area of St Alfons Street, Our Saviour Street, and St Charles Street in Sliema.

The arrest took place at around 3:00am on Triq Manuel Dimech in Sliema following several days of surveillance by police. The suspect had been identified based on descriptions gathered during the investigation and from security camera footage.

Upon stopping the man, who is a Japanese national, police conducted a search and found a pair of latex gloves, similar to those allegedly used in the cat killings, as well as packets of cat food and treats in his pocket.

Further searches revealed that he was in possession of clothes that match those worn by the killer when he was seen slamming a cat on the ground in Sliema, in an incident captured on CCTV footage.

The court heard that Satoshi resisted arrest and slightly injured two police officers right before they searched his home. 

A pre-sentencing report was ordered after the accused pled guilty to all charges, as a decision on sentencing will be reached on 15 September.