While there are many animal lovers in Singapore, there are also those who choose to mistreat innocent creatures instead.
Between 2020 and 2021, a man allegedly abused five cats in Ang Mo Kio, including throwing two of them down HDB blocks.
On Wednesday (1 Feb), 30-year-old Barrie Lin Pengli returned to court to face five animal cruelty charges.
He is currently out on bail and will return to court in March.
According to Channel NewsAsia (CNA), the first incident occurred at around 1.50am on 18 Apr 2020.
The charges state that Lin trapped a cat in a small waterproof bag at Block 544 Ang Mo Kio Avenue 10, causing it unnecessary suffering.
Three days later, he allegedly threw another feline down from the 12th floor of Block 572 Ang Mo Kio Avenue 3.
This happened at about 3.30am, and the cat did not survive.
Then, at about 4.30am on 21 Apr, Lin reportedly trapped a third cat in a small waterproof bag with limited ventilation at Block 207 Ang Mo Kio Avenue 1.
In May of that same year, he allegedly threw a fourth cat down from the eighth floor of Block 645 Ang Mo Kio Avenue 6.
Afterwards, he stomped on its neck, resulting in its death.
A fifth cat purportedly fell victim to him on 27 Dec 2021.
Lin is accused of picking the feline up and slamming it twice against the wall. This occurred at around 5.17am, again at Block 645 Ang Mo Kio Avenue 6.
In court, Lin’s lawyer Azri Imran Tan said that the Institute of Mental Health (IMH) required a private psychiatrist report before they could produce a forensic report.
The private psychiatrist report is expected to be ready by the end of this month. Mr Tan will then forward it to IMH.
He added that his client will start a new job on 15 Feb and is continuing with treatment with his private psychiatrist.
Lin is currently out on a bail of S$5,000 and will be back in court in March.
Under the Animals and Birds Act, the penalties for animal cruelty include up to 18 months’ jail, a fine of up to S$15,000 fine, or both.
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Featured image adapted from Akira on Unsplash, for illustration purposes only.
The authorities have investigated and closed the incident with no follow-ups required, MFA said.
He crossed the border daily in hopes of buying a house for his family.
On a few days, the thundery showers might extend into the night.
His church has urged parishioners to refrain from visiting him as he heals.
The kitten will be put up for adoption after its injuries are cured.
The toasts were barely a few centimetres thick.