7 years’ preventive detention for man who killed neighbour’s cat

SINGAPORE — A man who killed his neighbour’s cat was sentenced to seven years’ preventive detention on Tuesday (Sept 26), as a district judge found the recalcitrant criminal to be prone to volatile emotions and violence.

Tan Pwee Sin, 67, whose history of offences dates back to 1967, will not be eligible for early release because of good behaviour, unlike other offenders sentenced to jail terms.

For committing animal cruelty, the maximum penalty he faced was 18 months’ jail and/or a S$15,000 fine.

Prosecutors had called for preventive detention to be imposed — the penalty is meted out to hardened criminals, with the minimum term being seven years — noting a psychiatrist’s report that he could displace his anger outwards and inflict harm on weaker targets.

Tan, who has been diagnosed with anti-social personality traits, had pleaded guilty to one count each of animal cruelty for slashing his neighbour’s cat to death, criminal intimidation and dishonest retention of stolen property. Two other charges of using vulgarities on two Institute of Mental Health nurses were taken into consideration during sentencing.

The court was told Tan bore a grudge against his neighbour Muhammad Bakhtiyar Jaffar.

They had previously quarrelled about Tan feeding Mr Bakhtiyar’s two Russian Blue cats — one of whom was named Vamp — without permission.

“(Mr Bakhtiyar) was unsure what (Tan) fed Vamp with, but it resulted in Vamp being full, and not eating the high-quality cat food that (he) provides,” said Deputy Public Prosecutor Yang Ziliang.

Due to the bad blood, Tan bought a carving knife — which had a 36cm blade — in November last year, leaving it by his front door in case his neighbour came to his flat.

In January, he saw Vamp mating with one of his three cats. Enraged, he took the knife and swung at it, slashing its abdomen. Tan later threw the knife into the rubbish chute. Vamp was found with his intestines hanging out and later died.

An autopsy report revealed that the cat had suffered an abdominal tear, inflammation in multiple organs, significant inflammation and obstruction in its airways, and vascular deterioration.

In March, Tan had a run-in with Mr Bakhtiyar’s 11-year-old nephew. The boy asked Tan not to play with his cat, after seeing him do so. In response, Tan threatened the boy by saying that he is a “murderer” and that he would “cut (his) neck and throw (him) downstairs from the building”.

DPP Yang pointed out that Tan had planned the offences: “(He) had specifically purchased the broad blade chef carving knife ... with the intention of using it as a weapon if there was to be an altercation with the (neighbour).”

DPP Yang added that Tan was unable to regulate his emotions in volatile situations. Citing a psychiatrist’s report, he noted that Tan could displace his anger outwards and inflict harm on weaker targets linked to the “primary transgressor”.

In his sentencing remarks, District Judge Eddy Tham said that Tan’s “propensity to use violence” was disturbing, although he noted that no actual harm was caused to a human.

When he was 17, Tan was sent for probation for causing hurt with a dangerous weapon. In 1996, he was sentenced to life imprisonment for culpable homicide not amounting to murder. He was granted remission and released in 2010.