Man allegedly behind Ang Mo Kio cat slashings handed additional charges
SINGAPORE – A man who was allegedly behind a series of cat slashings in Ang Mo Kio was handed additional charges on Wednesday (July 7).
Leow Wei Liang, 37, is now accused of slashing six more cats with a penknife between April 25 and May 20.
This brings the total number of charges Leow faces to seven.
He was earlier charged with one count of hurting a cat with a penknife on May 2.
On Wednesday, the court heard that Leow was assessed by a psychiatrist from the Institute of Mental Health to have autism and an underlying antisocial personality.
But the psychiatrist noted that his acts of cruelty “were not borne from any difficulty in comprehending the consequences of his actions”.
Leow, who attended the court hearing remotely, interrupted proceedings several times to maintain his innocence.
At one point, he told the court that he could not have slashed the cats, as they moved quickly and hid under cars.
He later said he did not understand what offences he had allegedly committed.
Leow was arrested on June 8 by the Animal and Veterinary Service (AVS), which is under the National Parks Board (NParks), with the support of the police.
Multiple cats have been found with deep cuts on their bodies since late April in Ang Mo Kio.
As a result of the slashings, some of the neighbourhood cats in the housing estate were placed in boarding facilities in Lim Chu Kang and at The Animal Lodge.
NParks group director of community animal management Jessica Kwok said in an earlier statement that the safeguarding of animal welfare is a shared social responsibility. She also urged members of the public to promptly report suspected cases of animal cruelty to AVS.
AVS can be reached at this website or at 1800-476-1600.
Leow’s case will be heard again on July 27.
For each charge of animal cruelty he is convicted of, Leow can be jailed for up to 18 months, or fined up to $15,000, or face both penalties.
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