Man charged with shooting and killing cat in Marsa is denied bail

A 24-year-old Għaxaq man was charged in court earlier this month with having shot dead a cat in Marsa.

Clyde Mallia accused of shooting and killing the cat, while also causing it to suffer, after the accused was filmed during the incident.

The case dates back to 1 June, when the bystander reported the case to the police, also handing over the footage.

Testifying, police inspector Sarah Kathleen Zerafa told the court the footage showed a car coming to a stop, before shots were fired at the animal. After it was hit, the cat was seen shaking and juddering, until it collapsed and died.

The car’s number plate was clearly seen in the footage handed over to the police, and was traced back to its owner – a woman.

The woman informed the police that the car was owned by her daughter’s ex-boyfriend, the accused, and that it was only registered in her name.

A few days later, Mallia was seen driving the same car, leading to a warrant being issued for his arrest, according to Zerafa.

Meanwhile, during the interrogation of Mallia’s ex-girlfriend, she revealed to the police that she was with Mallia in the car at the time of the shooting and provided precise details of the incident's location and manner.

After the interrogation, the police searched Mallia’s home, finding a box of bullets and airgun pellets, but no weapon. An autopsy on the dead cat revealed the bullets matched with those found in the accused’s possession.

The accused pleaded not guilty to the charges brought against him, with the prosecution objecting to a request for bail, fearing tampering of evidence as civilian witnesses were yet to testify.

It also said he could not be trusted to obey the court’s conditions, having been accused of breaching four previous bail conditions.

Defence lawyers Franco Debono and Adreana Zammit argued that given the incident happened three weeks prior, the tampering could have already been carried out, but Magistrate Marse Anne Farrugia denied the request for bail.