A man from New Zealand has been sentenced to prison for killing a cat in an act of ‘extreme violence’ by hurling the beloved pet across a room at a backpackers hotel before assaulting a woman.
Clayton Tamakehu, 35, was sentenced to two years in prison after pleading guilty to the horrifying incident in December while staying at the Geeky Gecko hostel in Dunedin.
Heidi, a resident’s cat, was walking around a common bedroom when Tamakehu grabbed her up and threw her against a bunk bed with ‘great force,’ according to the court.
According to Stuff, the cat was then thrown across the room and into a pair of metal lockers.
Heidi perished on the floor as a result of her horrible injuries.
A 35-year-old lady questioned Tamakehu about the violent event. She was punched in the face several times, resulting in a black eye, bruising, and a severe concussion.
‘The victim then dropped to the ground while the defendant continued to rain blows,’ according to court documents.
The harrowing event has left the woman mentally damaged, and she read a victim impact statement in court.
When Tamakehu was apprehended by police, he initially denied harming the cat, claiming the woman had fallen out of bed.
Later, he admitted to mistreating an animal and assault with the intent to injure it.
Tamakehu, according to the court, battled with emotions after suffering a severe brain injury in 2014.
Judge Emma Smith accepted his guilty plea but said the ‘severe violence’ had to be considered when imposing a two-year term.
The judge stated, “This is an extremely serious situation.”
‘You lost control.’
‘You have real difficulty controlling mood, emotions and behaviour . . . You simply don’t exercise judgment as normal people do,’ said the judge.
‘That doesn’t make it any better for your victim and it doesn’t make it any better for Heidi.’