West Ham’s Kurt Zouma has been ordered to carry out 180 hours of community service for kicking and slapping a cat for entertainment in videos which went viral online.
The 27-year-old centreback drop-kicked one of his Bengal cats across the kitchen floor and slapped his pet in the head in front of his seven-year-old son.
The incidents were filmed by Zouma’s brother Yoan, 23, who could be heard laughing in the background as the footballer chased a cat and threatened to beat it with a shoe.
The Zouma brothers appeared at Thames magistrates court last week to admit animal abuse charges.
Passing sentence on Wednesday morning, District Judge Susan Holdham said the brothers “took part in this disgraceful and reprehensible incident”.
Turning to Kurt Zouma, she said: “You kicked and slapped either the same cat or both of them – that cat looked to you to care for its needs.
“On that date in February, you didn’t provide for its needs but caused unnecessary suffering for your own amusement.”
The judge accepted it was an “isolated incident” but said Zouma is a “public figure” in his role as a Premier League footballer.
“You must have been aware that others look up to you”, she said. “Many young people aspire to emulate you.”
Kurt Zouma was ordered to carry out 180 hours of community service, and his brother was sentenced to 140 hours - both under 12-month community orders.
The brothers were also banned for keeping cats for the next five years.
Zouma skipped the queue as he arrived at the magistrates court, being bundled forcibly by his security guards through people who were waiting to enter.
Two cats were taken away from the West Ham star’s home when the incidents came to light in February, and the animals are now going to be permanently rehoused.
“The matter came to light when a young lady who had been chatting to Yoan Zouma for a couple of weeks was messaging him on February 6 to arrange a date that evening”, said RSCPA prosecutor Hazel Stevens.
“Video images uploaded to social media were sent on Snapchat.
“The lady was horrified at what was taking place, even more so as Yoan Zouma appeared to find the events funny.”
The court heard a series of videos had been posted on Snapchat by Yoan Zouma, showing his brother chasing a cat, throwing a shoe at it, and drop-kicking a cat across the kitchen floor.
It appeared the incidents were sparked by damage to the home which was blamed on one of the cats.
In the slap incident, Zouma’s young son is holding the cat up so that the football can strike it.
The woman who had been due to go on a date with Yoan Zouma cancelled the meeting, telling him she was “disgusted” by the “very cruel” animal abuse.
In response, Yoan Zouma told her: “We never had animals before, maybe that’s why we don’t know how to manage these cats.”
The court heard the cats had been medically assessed and were healthy, though a vet said they would have suffered soft tissue damage and trauma at the time of the attacks.
When the video spread online, Yoan Zouma was suspended by his non-league club, Dagenham & Redbridge, before returning to the squad in early March.
Kurt Zouma was fined two weeks’ wages – around £250,000 - by West Ham but did not face a suspension from Premier League action. He did, however, lose a string of lucrative sponsorship deals.
“He will never put it behind him”, said defence barrister Trevor Burke QC.
The barrister said Zouma “didn’t consent” to the videos being made, and added that a local vet had been consulted and the cats had been “clearly well-cared for” during their lives with the footballer.
“His wife wasn’t present in the home on these few days, she was the register keeper with the vet, and you can perhaps expect that nothing of this sort will happen again, and the defendant knows the consequences if it did”, said Mr Burke.
The court also heard Zouma has been subjected to online abuse, racism, and threats which are currently under investigation by Essex Police.
Kurt Zouma pleaded guilty to two charges of causing unnecessary suffering to a protected animal. Yoan Zouma pleaded guilty to aiding and abetting the causing of unnecessary suffering to a protected animal.
The court was told only five people out of Yoan Zouma’s 80 followers had seen the original Snapchat video by the time it was deleted.
