A Brighton security guard pleaded not guilty this morning to a spate of cat killings and injuries around Brighton.
Steve Bouquet, 52, of Rose Hill Terrace, Brighton, appeared at Hove Crown Court accused of 16 charges of criminal damage, all against cats.
The attacks, which mostly took place under cover of darkness, led to the deaths of nine cats. A further seven cats survived.
Bouquet is also charged with having a Leatherman knife in Frederick Place, Brighton, on Sunday 2 June last year.
Several members of the public, including some of the cat owners, watched the proceedings from the public gallery.
Rowan Jenkins, prosecuting, told the court that the trial was likely to take two weeks.
Judge Paul Tain bailed Bouquet to stand trial on Monday 14 September.
Bouquet appeared in the dock wearing a black leather jacket.
The cats which died are
- Hendrix, who belonged to Stewart Montgomery. The charge says he was injured in Crown Gardens on Friday 31 May 2019 and the damage was worth £1,662.93
- Tommy, who belonged to Carolyn Green. The charge says he was injured in Cheltenham Place, Brighton on Thursday 8 November 2018 and the damage was worth £1,799.28
- Hannah, who belonged to Marianna Penturo. The charge says she was injured in Crown Gardens on Thursday 11 October 2018 and the damage was worth £150
- Alan, who belonged to Katerine Maddock. The charge says he was injured in North Gardens on Monday 4 February 2019 and the damage was worth £135
- Nancy, who belonged to Jeff Carter. The charge says she was injured in Shaftesbury Road on Monday 18 March 2019 and the damage was worth £3,214
- Gizmo, who belonged to Emma O’Sullivan. The charge says he was injured in Ditchling Rise on Tuesday 27 March 2019 and the damage was worth £384.40
- Kyo, who belonged to Paul Tofts. The charge says he was injured in Rugby Road on Tuesday 2 May 2019 and the value of the damage was unknown
- Ollie, who belonged to Sarah McKenzie. The charge says he was injured in Rugby Road on Wednesday 3 May 2019 and the damage was worth £384.40
- Cosmo, who belonged to Lucy Kenward. The charge says he was injured in Port Hall Place on Saturday 1 June 2019 and the damage was worth £5,056.44
The cats which survived are:
- Alistair, who belongs to Stewart Cruse, on Sunday 14 October 2018 at Trafalgar Terrace, to the value of £2,421.06
- Wheatley, who belongs to Andrea Williams, on Tuesday 2 October 2018 at Crown Gardens, value unknown
- Rigby, who belongs to Penny Vessey, on Wednesday 31 October 2018 at Stafford Road, to the value of £915.58
- Samson, who belongs to Seanin Mouland, on Sunday 18 November 2018 at Ditchling Rise, to the value of £7,500
- Jasper, who belongs to David Perry, on Monday 12 February or Tuesday 13 February 2019 at Rugby Road, to the value of £2,140.95
- Maggie, who belongs to Claire Smith, on Saturday 1 June 2019 at Coventry Street, to the value of £4,826.72
- Gideon, who belongs to Tina Randall, at Trafalgar Terrace on Monday 5 November 2018, to the value of £1,623.33
Ravi Dogra, defending, asked the judge to keep the same bail conditions for Bouquet.
The judge agreed and Bouquet was released on bail, with the condition that he doesn’t enter three areas of Brighton, that he sleeps at his home address each night and that he regularly signs on at the John Street police station.
