Man 'wasn't part of team' kicking cat like a ball

A man seen among a group of people kicking a cat like a soccer ball, causing its death, was not part of the "team", a court heard yesterday.

The argument was put forward in an appeal by Yeung Kiu-yue, 26, against a conviction for cruelty to animals for which he received a 16-month jail sentence.

"People usually have an impression that soccer needs a team of players," lawyer Tony Ng told the Court of First Instance. But he said the magistrate who convicted Yeung was wrong to draw the inference that he was part of the "team".

Yeung was convicted and sentenced in Kwun Tong Court in January for cruelty to the animal, which had to be put down because of its injuries.

Yesterday, Ng said the prosecution's evidence showed there was a group of people standing in the corridor on the 11th floor of Tin Chi House, Shun Tin Estate, Kwun Tong, on November 16, 2012. But a witness said he only saw two people kicking the cat like a soccer ball.

The witness also claimed he heard a man laugh but could not identify the man. "The man who laughed deserved to be condemned. However, does it mean other people have to be punished for it?" Ng asked.