The footballer Kurt Zouma has been sentenced to 180 hours of community service after pleading guilty to kicking and slapping a cat.

The West Ham defender, 27, was also banned from keeping cats for five years.

Disturbing footage of the incident, filmed at Zouma’s home and posted on Snapchat by his brother, Yoan, emerged in February.

Yoan Zouma, 24, has been sentenced to 140 hours of community service and also banned from keeping cats for five years.

Kurt Zouma admitted two counts of causing unnecessary suffering to a protected animal by kicking it in the abdomen and slapping it on the head at Thames Magistrates’ Court last week.

In the footage, he kicks the Bengal cat across his kitchen before throwing a pair of shoes at it and slapping its head.

His brother, 24, later sent the video to a woman he had been messaging who raised the alarm.

Hazel Stevens, for the prosecution, said Kurt Zouma could be heard in the video saying: “I swear I’ll kill it, I swear I’ll kill it.”

Ms Stevens said the 40-second clip appeared to have been recorded after the cats were blamed for damaging a chair.

“Kurt Zouma is determined to chastise or carry out some sort of retribution for the damage caused,” she said.

Ms Stevens added that the young woman who first saw the footage was so appalled that she cancelled a date with Yoan, saying: “I don’t think hitting a cat like that is OK – don’t bother coming today.”

Related posts:

Harry tells Oprah he feared ‘history repeating itself’ in reference to Diana’s death School staff not more likely to test positive for COVID antibodies, new figures suggest Prince Philip moved to different hospital to continue treatment for infection Prince Charles praises ‘courage and sacrifice’ of D-Day fallen as new memorial opens Harry and Meghan announce birth of baby girl – with name to honour Queen and Diana ‘Best light show on Earth’: Britons treated to Northern Lights phenomenon Insulate Britain protesters ‘blocking democracy’ as they glue themselves to roads outside Parliament Electrician admits murdering two women and sexually assaulting dozens of corpses ‘My daughter was violated’: Mother of woman raped in mortuary by necrophile David Fuller speaks out Yorkshire CCC suspended from hosting international matches by ECB after ‘abhorrent’ racism allegation Former University Challenge host Bamber Gascoigne dies aged 87 Nick Candy pledges to give fans board seat if Chelsea bid triumphs