A 24-year-old from Għaxaq was hauled into court accused of having shot dead a cat in Marsa earlier this month.

Clyde Mallia stands accused of shooting and killing a cat in Marsa, as well as causing it unnecessary pain and suffering, after witnesses reportedly filmed the incident as it occurred.

Police inspector Sarah Kathleen Zerafa told the court that the incident dates back to June 1, when a person reported the alleged shooting to the police, saying they had filmed the incident.

According to Zerafa the footage shows a car coming to a stop and a shot being fired out of the car at the cat, which happened to be walking in the street.

The cat was hit and could be seen shaking and convulsing, until it lost all signs of life and collapsed on the street, she said.

The footage had captured the car and its number plate clearly, with police managing to trace it back to its owner, a woman.

The woman told police that the car actually belonged to her daughter’s ex-boyfriend, the accused, and that the vehicle was only registered in her name.

Some days later, Mallia was spotted driving the same car and a warrant was issued for his arrest, Zerafa said.

In the meantime, when questioning Mallia’s ex-girlfriend, the woman told police that she had been with Mallia in the car at the time of the shooting and was able to give them exact details of where and how the incident occurred.

Box of bullets, air gun pellets found, but no guns

Police subsequently went to Mallia’s home and executed the warrant for his arrest, conducting a search of his home, where they found a box of bullets and air gun pellets, but no guns.

Zerafa added that an autopsy on the deceased cat had discovered bullets lodged in the body that matched those found in Mallia’s home.

Mallia was charged with illegal possession of a firearm, shooting and killing the cat as well as causing it unnecessary pain and suffering.

He also stands accused of driving without a licence and without insurance cover, breaching four different sets of bail conditions and recidivism.

Mallia pleaded not guilty to the charges.

The prosecution objected to a request for bail, saying that there was a fear of tampering with evidence as civilian witnesses were still to testify. They also argued that Mallia could not be trusted to keep the court’s conditions, having been accused of breaching four previous bail conditions.

Lawyers Franco Debono and Adreana Zammit argued that, given that the incident had occurred three weeks prior, there had been ample time to tamper with evidence, but this did not occur.

Magistrate Marse Anne Farrugia denied the bail request but urged the prosecution to supply civilian witnesses at the first possible opportunity.