This article is more than 9 months old

This article is more than 9 months old

A man has been accused of attacking 16 cats, nine of which were killed, over the space of eight months in Brighton.

Sussex police charged Steven Bouquet, 52, a security guard, with 16 counts of criminal damage relating to the wounding or killing of 16 cats between between 2 October 2018 and 1 June 2019.

The charges are part of Operation Diverge, the force’s investigation into a number of cat deaths in the city of Brighton and Hove.

Bouquet, who was also charged with possessing a knife in a public place, is due to appear at Brighton magistrates court on 23 January.

The South East district crown prosecutor, Sally Lakin, said: “Following a spate of attacks on cats in the Brighton area, the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) has authorised Sussex police to charge Steven Bouquet with 16 charges of criminal damage, relating to attacks on 16 cats, nine of which were killed and seven were seriously injured.

“The allegations relate to incidents which took place between 2 October 2018 and 1 June 2019. This is a complex case and this decision was made following a careful review of all of the evidence presented to us.”

The CPS said it had carefully considered which charges would be most appropriate in the case and concluded the defendant should be charged with criminal damage.

“This does not in any way detract from the seriousness of the offence or the great distress these incidents will have caused the owners of the cats,” the CPS said. “However, under current legislation, cats and other animals are deemed as property.”

The charge of animal cruelty was thought inappropriate as the defendant was not the owner of the cats. It would also attract a lesser sentence than criminal damage.