Security guard 'stabbed nine cats to death in series of sickening attacks'

A supermarket security guard stabbed at least 16 cats, killing nine, in a series of attacks, a court has heard.

Steven Bouquet, 54, is alleged to have carried out night-time attacks in Brighton between October 2018 and June 2019.

The attacks left police stumped but a breakthrough in their investigation came when CCTV images appeared to show Bouquet stabbing a black kitten, Chichester Crown Court heard.

His trial began in his absence at the court on Tuesday after he failed to show up.

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Bouquet, who worked at Churchill Square Shopping Centre in Brighton, previously pleaded not guilty to 16 counts of criminal damage in relation to the cat attacks and one count of possession of a knife.

The total costs of the criminal damages allegedly reached £32,000 after the cat owners spent thousands in veterinary bills. As it is more than £5,000, Bouquet faces up to 10 years in jail if convicted.

Rowan Jenkins, prosecuting, said: "By targeting pets, whoever was responsible was not of course just causing suffering to the animals themselves, but understandable trauma to their owners, many of whom were greatly affected both emotionally and secondarily, perhaps, financially.

"Such actions had a consequence to wider neighbourhoods as news of the attacks spread."

Police saw reports of cat killings increase over the months but had no suspect until Bouquet was caught on CCTV, the prosecutor said.

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Brighton resident Alan Levy had set up the cameras at his home in Crown Gardens after his pet cat Hannah was stabbed to death in October 2018.

Then on 31 May, a nine-month-old black shorthair kitten called Hendrix was attacked on the street.

His owner Stewart Montgomery then retraced a trail of blood from his home back to Crown Gardens where he spotted a CCTV camera on a wall.

Jenkins said Levy and Montgomery watched the recordings together before handing the CCTV video to the police.

In the footage, Hendrix could be seen outside on the pathway at just after 7.50pm, the court heard.

"A person walks up from the same direction and stops and interacts with Hendrix: the defendant, Steve Bouquet," Jenkins said.

"He appears to show affection to the cat by stroking it. Facing sideways, he seems to take something from his rucksack.

"As the cat is lying down in front of him, there is then a sudden jerk from the defendant’s arm."

The cat then could be seen fleeing home where he was taken to the vet and later died.

When Bouquet was arrested, police found a Leatherman multi-tool that included a locking knife with a blade around 2.6 inches long.

Jenkins also said detectives were able to match the times and places where cats had been stabbed with the movements of Bouquet’s phone handset.

Bouquet denies 16 counts of criminal damage relating to the death and injury of the felines, and a separate charge for possessing a leatherman lock-knife.

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