BREAKING: WEST HAM DEFENDER KURT ZOUMA PLEADS GUILTY TO KICKING AND SLAPPING CAT
Read Time:1 Minute, 20 Second
West Ham United centre back Kurt Zouma has pleaded guilty to two offences under the animal cruelty act after appearing at a first hearing at Thames Magistrates Court this morning.
The 27-year-old France international, dressed in a black suit and white shirt, rushed past photographers with two umbrella-carrying bodyguards as he arrived at Thames Magistrates Court with his brother Yoan, 23, for a hearing following an RSPCA case in relation to a video posted online on February 6 that allegedly showed him harming one of his cats.
He pleaded guilty to two counts of causing “unnecessary suffering to a protected animal, by kicking and slapping a cat,” in violation of the Animal Welfare Act 2006, section 4 subsection 1. A third charge of violating section 9 by failing to “protect the animal from pain, injury, or sickness” was dropped.
Both animals are still in the care of the RSPCA.
Yoan Zouma was charged with “aiding, abetting, counselling, or procuring Kurt Zouma to commit the offence” on two counts. He also entered a guilty plea.
Kurt Zouma was fined two weeks’ wages by West Ham, who donated the sum of around £250,000 to charity after the footage was released. He also lost his adidas endorsement, while Kissimmee and Vitality terminated their sponsorship ties with the team after Zouma continued to play under manager David Moyes.
Yoan Zouma has not played for his club Dagenham and Redbridge since late January. He was initially suspended by the National League side before being allowed to return to training after the police investigation closed on March 16.
Happy
0 %
Sad
0 %
Excited
0 %
Sleepy
0 %
Angry
0 %
Surprise
0 %
0
0