K. Ganesh (2nd right) and A. Mohanraj (2nd left) leave the Selayang Sessions Court October 16, 2018. — Bernama pic

KUALA LUMPUR, Jan 17 — The taxi driver who killed a cat by throwing it into a clothes dryer at a self-service laundry was sentenced to two years’ jail by the Sessions Court in Selayang today.

In a Bernama report, Justice Rasyihah Ghazali sentenced 42-year-old A. Mohanraj after he admitted to committing the crime during the case mention today.

His sentence is to start concurrently with the day of his arrest on September 14, 2018.

Mohanraj was charged with cruelty and abuse towards a pregnant cat at the premises of a laundry in Taman Gombak Ria, Batu Caves between 12.54pm and 1am on September 11, last year.

Together with his accomplice S. Satthiya, 27 and contract worker K Ganesh, 42, Mohanraj was charged under Section 29 (1) Animal Welfare Act 2015, which carries a punishment under Section 29 (1) of the same Act.

It was read together with Section 34 of the Penal Code which carries a maximum of RM100,000, or a three-year jail sentence, or both.

Satthiya was given a discharge without an acquittal for the same offence, while Ganesh, maintained his not guilty plea to the charge.

Previously Selangor Veterinary Service Department prosecutor Roslan Mohd Isa had requested a heavier sentence because the accused’s actions were cruel.

“This case involves public interest because he cruelly abused a helpless animal and that is something that the public cannot accept. As a human being the accused should be protecting animals... the cat was innocent and it wasn’t dangerous,” he reportedly said.

Mohanraj was not accompanied by a lawyer and pleaded for a lighter sentence, saying he has repented and promised not to repeat his mistake and that he needed to support his family.

“I regret and apologise to all Malaysians and promise I won’t do this again. While I was incarcerated the other convicts insulted me because of my crime,” he reportedly said.

On 11 September last year, the manager at the laundry received a call from a female customer who told him that there was a dead cat inside one of his dryers.

The manager then instructed one of his staff to inspect the dryer and found a dead cat inside.

CCTV footage captured two men with one of them grabbing a cat from under a table at the laundry and throwing it into the dryer.

Both the accused then put a token into the slot and started the machine before leaving the laundry.

The laundry had to temporarily shut down because of the stench of decay from the dead cat.

Following the incident, a police report was lodged and arrests made on September 14, 2018.

The incident went viral on social media, receiving condemnation from users nationwide.