B.C. man jailed after killing kitten in 'torturous' attack that woke neighbour
Warning: This story contains disturbing details.
A B.C. man who admitted to attacking his pet kitten so brutally the animal had to be euthanized has been sentenced to spend four months behind bars.
Vancouver provincial court heard Yiming Zhu was in a state of "emotional maladjustment" due to social isolation and mental health pressures when he decided to punish his kitten for biting and scratching him in the early morning hours of May 20, 2021.
The violent outburst that ensued saw the defenceless animal swung by its tail, repeatedly smacked against concrete and stepped on, according to court documents posted online this week.
The kitten's cries were loud enough to awaken Zhu's neighbour, who called police – but the attack persisted, with Zhu "apparently callous to (the animal's) suffering," Judge Harbans Dhillon wrote in her June 29 decision.
"The time over which the kitten was brutalized was about 20 to 25 minutes, with stops and starts," Dhillon wrote.
"His conduct caused pain, fear and distress to the animal and can fairly be called torturous."
When police arrived, the kitten was alive but barely moving. Authorities took the animal to an emergency veterinary clinic, where it was determined to be too grievously injured for treatment.
The court heard Zhu moved to Canada from China with his mother at age 15 to complete high school and attend university. His mother returned to China a few years later, leaving Zhu living alone in the family's Vancouver home, where he experienced loneliness, feeling of depression and deteriorating mental health.
His loneliness is what led Zhu to adopt a young, five-pound kitten, according to the documents, but he was woefully ill-equipped to care for the animal.
"He had no prior exposure to domestic pets, which had never been permitted in the family home," Dhillon wrote.
"The kitten was supposed to be a companion but managing it added more stress in his life. His mounting frustrations with the kitten urinating and defecating in the house, and biting and scratching him, reached the point that he lashed out."
While he was found to be experiencing an adjustment disorder at the time of the attack, an assessment report conducted at the Vancouver Regional Forensic Clinic determined he was not suffering from a major mental illness such as clinical depression or psychosis.
The court heard Zhu's emotional maladjustment has since resolved. While awaiting trial he managed to graduate from university and successfully apply to a Master's program in the U.K.
The Crown recommended a jail term of six months, but Dhillon noted a number of mitigating factors in the case, including that Zhu had no criminal record and was cooperative with police, providing a "full and frank" account of what transpired.
"He appears to have gained insight into his offending behaviour. During his forensic interview he expressed his deep regret," Dhillon wrote, also noting Zhu was found to be a low risk to reoffend.
He further took responsibility by pleading guilty to willfully causing unnecessary pain, suffering or injury to an animal.
The judge sentenced Zhu to four months in jail, and banned him from "owning, having custody or control of, or residing in the same premises as an animal" for 25 years.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
'They needed people inside Air Canada:' Police announce arrests in Pearson gold heist
Police say one former and one current employee of Air Canada are among the nine suspects that are facing charges in connection with the gold heist at Pearson International Airport last year.
Why drivers in Eastern Canada could see big gas price spikes, and other Canadians won't
Drivers in Eastern Canada face a big increase in gas prices because of various factors, especially the higher cost of the summer blend, industry analysts say.
BREAKING Toronto Raptors player Jontay Porter banned from NBA
Toronto Raptors player Jontay Porter has been handed a lifetime ban from The National Basketball Association (NBA) following an investigation which found he disclosed confidential information to sports bettors, the league says.
WATCH LIVE As GC Strategies partner is admonished by MPs, RCMP confirms search warrant executed
The RCMP confirmed Wednesday it had executed a search warrant at an address registered to GC Strategies. This development comes as MPs are enacting an extraordinary, rarely used parliamentary power, summoning one of its contractors to appear before the House of Commons to be admonished publicly for failing to answer questions related to the ArriveCan app.
Disappointment widespread over budget's proposed $200-month disability benefit funding
Advocacy groups across Canada are expressing widespread disappointment about the amount of funding earmarked in the 2024 federal budget for the long-awaited Canada Disability Benefit.
Earthquake jolts southern Japan
An earthquake with a preliminary magnitude of 6.4 hit southern Japan late on Wednesday, said the Japan Meteorological Agency, without issuing a tsunami warning.
opinion Don Martin: Gusher of Liberal spending won't put out the fire in this dumpster
A Hail Mary rehash of the greatest hits from the Trudeau government’s three-week travelling pony-show, the 2024 federal budget takes aim at reversing the party’s popularity plunge in the under-40 set, writes political columnist Don Martin. But will it work before the next election?
Woman who pressured boyfriend to kill his ex in 2000s granted absences from prison
A woman who pressured her boyfriend into killing his teenage ex more than a decade ago will be allowed to leave prison for weeks at a time.
Former Sask. massage therapist who sexually assaulted clients has day parole revoked
A former massage therapist who pleaded guilty to a string of sexual assaults has had his day parole revoked.