A 19-year-old Auckland man killed a kitten with an empty beer bottle because he "didn't like cats", a court has been told.
Selu Bond Moala was yesterday sentenced at the Manukau District Court to 150 hours' community work for wilfully ill-treating an animal, The New Zealand Herald newspaper reported.
Moala was drinking with a friend when he threw the bottle at the kitten.
He did not realise how injured the kitten was and pleaded guilty early, his lawyer Mary-Anne Lowe said.
Judge Charles Blackie said Moala was asked by police why he had thrown the bottle.
"You said you didn't like cats. I don't think people like you at this point in time." Judge Blackie said.
"I can tell you there is very little sympathy for people like you who mistreat animals."
Judge Blackie also read a victim impact statement from a woman who said she had to explain the kitten's death to her children.
"Her children were very sad that the kitten was killed. One child tried to wake the kitten up but it was clearly dead," he said.
Back at his Otara home, Moala said he did not mean to hit the kitten and he was sorry for what he had done.
