West Ham United defender Kurt Zouma was ordered to serve 180 hours of community service and received a five-year ban on keeping cats after pleading guilty to two offenses under the Animal Welfare Act for kicking and slapping his pet cat. The sentencing took place at Thames Magistrates’ Court on Wednesday, June 1, 2022.
The case was brought forward by the RSPCA after a video, filmed by Zouma’s brother, Yoan Zouma, was posted on Snapchat on February 6, 2022. The 40-second clip showed Kurt Zouma kicking the Bengal cat across his kitchen, throwing shoes at it, and slapping its head, while also being heard saying, “I swear I’ll kill it.”
Yoan Zouma, a player for Dagenham and Redbridge, was also sentenced, receiving 140 hours of community service after admitting to one count of aiding, abetting, counselling, or procuring his older brother to commit the offense. The court heard that the woman Yoan sent the video to was so appalled that she cancelled a date with him and subsequently raised the alarm.
District Judge Susan Holdham condemned the footballers’ actions, stating, “Both of you took part in this disgraceful and reprehensible act with this pet cat. You must be aware that others look up to you and many young people aspire to emulate you.” In addition to the community order, Kurt Zouma was ordered to pay court costs of nearly £9,000.
The court was also told that the West Ham defender had already faced severe consequences, including being fined £250,000 (the maximum available to the club, which was donated entirely to animal welfare charities) and losing a “substantial” sponsorship deal with sportswear firm Adidas. The cats involved were seized by the RSPCA and remain in their care for rehoming.
RSPCA chief inspectorate officer Dermot Murphy welcomed the verdict, stating, “We are pleased there has been swift justice in this awful case… This case sends a really clear message that animals should never be treated like this, and posting videos of animals being harmed on social media for likes is abhorrent.”
Following the sentencing, West Ham United released a statement reiterating their strong condemnation of animal cruelty but expressed hope that Zouma would now be “allowed the chance to learn from his mistake and move on.”
