S'porean man, 32, threw 2 cats from AMK blocks to kill them, abused 3 other cats over 1.5 years

A man in Singapore killed two of the five community cats he abused over a period of one year and eight months, in a case the prosecution said was one of the worst cases of animal cruelty here.

Barrie Lin Pengli, 32, pleaded guilty on Oct. 15 to three charges of animal cruelty under the Animals and Birds Act, with another two charges to be taken into consideration, court documents stated.

Out of the three cats he abused, one was severely injured, while the other two were trapped in "suffocating conditions" and their fates remain unknown.

The prosecution is seeking two years' jail for Lin.

About the case

The Singaporean man started abusing cats near the end of 2019.

He would drive to go for walks in Ang Mo Kio estates where community cats resided whenever he felt "troubled with his life".

The areas he visited were where he knew there were more community cats and he had "options to harm the cats" when he was feeling angry.

Abduct cats

Lin first kicked the cats he saw.

He then proceeded to abduct the cats in small sealed waterproof bags that had little to no air entering them.

He would abduct one to three cats at a time.

He then put them in his car.

He either released them elsewhere or killed them by throwing them off Housing and Development Board (HDB) blocks.

The court heard that Lin abused cats between 2019 and 2020 and felt "a sense of excitement, thrill and guilt" during the abuse, and a "sense of relief" after he committed his acts of abuse.

He did this to handle his "emotional distress".

Apr. 21, 2020 incident

On Apr. 21, 2020 at about 3:30am, Lin caught a black and white cat at Block 572 Ang Mo Kio Avenue 3.

He held the cat by the scruff of its neck and took the lift.

His actions were caught on police camera.

At the 12th floor, he dangled the cat over the parapet, knowing cats are afraid of heights.

He then dropped the cat, killing it.

Lin checked on the cat to see if it was dead.

He then put the carcass in a trash bag he got from his car and threw it in a rubbish bin that was at a different area from where he had dropped the cat.

On Apr. 23, 2020, Cat Welfare Society compiled a list of missing cats based on reports by community cat feeders and submitted it to NParks.

The feeders had noticed more community cats going missing from Ang Mo Kio HDB estates.

May 15, 2020 incident

On May 15, 2020, at about 3:30am, Lin found a dark-coloured cat at the void deck of Block 645 Ang Mo Kio Avenue 6.

He held the cat by the scruff of its neck and then threw it off the eighth floor.

The cat had scratched him when it was dangled off the parapet.

The police camera again caught Lin holding the cat.

When he went to the ground floor to check on the cat, he found that it was still alive.

He then killed it by stomping hard on its neck.

He hid the body under a vehicle and went back to his car to retrieve a trash bag.

He then placed the carcass in the trash bag before driving home.

On the way home, he disposed of the carcass in a dustbin at the bus stop at Block 540 Ang Mo Kio Avenue 10.

The act of disposal was caught on police camera.

Post-mortem conducted

The cat's body was retrieved and a post-mortem was conducted by National Parks Board (NParks) veterinarians.

The cat sustained multiple injuries and was found to have died of a blunt-force external traumatic incident.

On the same day, an eyewitness reported to the police that a person had thrown a cat down from Block 645 Ang Mo Kio Avenue 6, killing it.

Lin was identified as a result of investigations.

He was arrested on the same day.

He was then released on station bail.

He then received psychological treatment between December 2020 and June 2021 and his depression symptoms improved.

He got a full-time job in November 2021.

Dec. 26, 2021 incident

On Dec. 26, 2021, Lin went back to Block 645 Ang Mo Kio Avenue 6 after a Christmas get-together at his place.

This was after he had sent some friends home and made a detour to get to the estate.

He walked around the estate at about 5:15am as he wanted to "test if he could control his urges to hurt cats".

Lin spotted a cat in a hedge.

He tried to coax it out, but the animal walked away from him.

He continued to try to get hold of the cat and caught it by the scruff of its neck.

He then used full force, by turning his whole upper body from right to left, and slammed the cat against a wall.

The animal screamed.

He did this twice, before losing his grip.

The cat fled.

A passer-by saw what happened and reported the incident to NParks.

Community cat feeders got wind of the abuse and found the cat in a nearby school on Dec. 28, 2021.

They took it to a vet.

The cat was diagnosed with a fractured limb and tooth, as well as a cut on its lip.

It was hospitalised for 14 days and underwent surgery.

The vet bill came up to S$5,591.45.

The community raised money to foot the bill.

The cat is expected to suffer osteoarthritis of the affected elbow joint for the long term.

Seeking 24 months' jail

Prosecutors sought 24 months' jail for Lin.

They cited the "deliberate and deplorable brutality" of his actions, the significant degree of harm and the strong public interest in ensuring that animals are not abused, court documents stated.

They objected to the accused seeking a mandatory treatment order (MTO) sentence, saying Lin was unsuitable.

The defence lawyer's request for a MTO suitability report was rejected.

He had said his client was diagnosed by two psychiatrists to have a major depressive disorder.

CNA reported that Lin was undergoing stressors including unemployment, family conflict and financial pressures, which led to him contemplating self-harm and suicide at the time of the offences.

The defence lawyer also said Lin initially patted the cats and kicked those that were unfriendly.

Over time, he viewed them as a "nuisance" to be relocated before proceeding to harm the cats.

Lin has since moved into his new Build-to-Order flat and got married, his lawyer added.

He will return to court in November for sentencing.

Top photos via court documents