Security Guard Found Guilty in UK Cat Stabbings

A British man was found guilty of stabbing 16 pet cats in southern England, local police confirmed. Sussex Police called the crime “savage.” During the trial, the jury heard about his months-long rampage to hunt and injure local cats.

Steve Bouquet, a security guard, attacked pet cats over a nine-month period from 2018 to 2019. Nine cats were stabbed to death and the seven remaining survived the brutal injuries. Bouquet was caught with the help of a close CCTV camera that caught him during an attack. He will be sentenced on July 12.

Chief Superintendent Nick May, divisional commander for Brighton and Hove said the stabbings had a “devastating impact” on cats and owners in the area. Tina Randall, whose 11-year old cat was injured in 2018 by Bouquet recalled the experience of finding him during the trial. “He was fading and as I picked him up, blood spurted out,” she said. The cat’s vet bills cost over £1,600.

A jury found Bouquet guilty of 16 offenses of criminal damage and possession of a knife. Judge Jeremy Gold QC said of the verdict, “I suggest it is only really during lockdown it has been particularly clear how much many of us who have pets rely on them for companionship and comfort and one can only imagine the distress that was caused to the owners of those various cats in this case at the very thought of having a knife plunged into their beloved pet.”

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