May 23, (THEWILL) –Â Kurt Zouma, a West Ham defender, has been charged with three animal cruelty offences after reportedly kicking and slapping his cat.
THEWILL recalls that a video posted on social media by Zouma’s brother Yoan in February caused the RSPCA to initiate an inquiry. Following the incident, the animal welfare organisation seized two cats from the Premier League player’s home and subsequently cooperated with Essex Police to get to the bottom of the incident.
Zouma is charged with two charges of causing needless suffering to a protected animal and one count of failing to comply with an animal welfare obligation.
Yoan Zouma is charged with two counts of “aiding, abetting, counselling, or procuring” Kurt to commit the offence, and the brothers will face at Thames Magistrates’ Court on Tuesday for their initial hearing.Yoan is also a footballer, but since the event he has not played for Dagenham and Redbridge. West Ham did not ban Zouma from playing, but they did punish him two weeks’ pay, and he is said to have lost several sponsors as a result of the incident.
Jude Obafemi is a versatile senior Correspondent at THEWILL Newspapers, excelling in sourcing, researching, and delivering sports news stories for both print and digital publications.
