Man accused of killing cats in Sliema needs psychological help, lawyers argue

A man accused of killing cats in Sliema must be given proper psychological care when the court decides on a penalty, his lawyers argued on Thursday.

The fresh case against Okurama Satoshi continued on Thursday. Satoshi had been sentenced to two years in prison on the charges but a Court of Appeal revoked the decision and sent the case back to the Court of Magistrates to be heard afresh due to procedural defects.

During Thursday’s sitting, Satoshi’s defence team argued that, at this stage, the charges brought against Satoshi are not correctly framed and that this should be taken seriously when considering any penalty.

The defence argued that Satoshi’s level of understanding was limited and that, at the time of his arrest, he was not aware he was being arrested by a police officer. It was also argued that the case should be examined through the lens of restorative justice, since imprisonment alone would not resolve the situation where a person suffers from psychological problems.

According to the defence, Satoshi has a history of issues related to cruelty towards animals, and therefore, a reformative rather than purely punitive punishment should be considered.

His lawyers emphasised that Satoshi may have had an abusive past, which remains unaddressed, and that if these underlying problems are not properly treated, he would be unfairly penalised when compared to other cases of a similar nature.

The court was also informed that Satoshi had never committed any offence prior to this case. The defence explained that although the law distinguishes between first-time offenders and repeat offenders, the maximum custodial penalty remains the same. It is rare, the defence noted, for a person who commits such an offence for the first time to be given an effective prison sentence.

Reference was also made to the pre-sentencing report, which mentioned a psychological problem, in order to demonstrate the differing context of the case and the need for appropriate treatment. It was pointed out that, so far, no court has fully addressed the need for psychological assistance in similar cases, and that even following professional assessment, it was confirmed that Satoshi requires mental health support.

According to the defence, a treatment order on its own is ineffective unless it is accompanied by a form of punishment that courts can adapt to the specific circumstances of the case.

For its part, the prosecution added it had no further submissions to make and stood by those already presented before the court during the sitting of 14 October.

The case is set to continue on 26 February.

Satoshi is being assisted by defence lawyers Andreana Zammit and Marion Camilleri.

Inspector Eliot Magri is prosecuting.

The sitting is being presided over by Magistrate Kevan Azzopardi.