A man in his 20s given probation for secretly entering his ex-girlfriend's house and killing her pet cat by putting it in the washing machine

Sentenced to 1 Year and 6 Months Imprisonment, 3 Years Probation

A man in his 20s who not only stalked his ex-girlfriend but also secretly broke into her residence and put her pet cat into a washing machine, killing it, was sentenced to a suspended prison term.

On the 30th, Judge Kim Kyung-chan of the Criminal Division 3 at Cheongju District Court announced that A (23), who was prosecuted on charges of violating the Stalking Crime Punishment Act, Animal Protection Act, trespassing, and property damage, was sentenced to 1 year and 6 months in prison with a 3-year suspension.

Cheongju District Court

A is accused of secretly entering the home of his ex-girlfriend B in Cheongwon-gu, Cheongju-si, Chungbuk Province, through a window around 11 a.m. on December 11 last year and putting B’s cat into a washing machine, killing it. After disposing of the cat’s body in the cleaning supply closet of the university restroom he attends, he posted a murder threat against B on the university’s online community and was arrested at his home by responding police officers.

He is also charged with stalking B by unilaterally waiting at her residence or contacting her dozens of times via calls and texts 17 times after breaking up with her in November of the same year. During police investigation, A reportedly stated, "I did it because my girlfriend wouldn’t meet me." The charge of threatening to kill B was dropped after B reached an agreement with A. Threat charges are considered semi-indictable offenses, meaning the perpetrator cannot be punished without the victim’s desire.

Judge Kim pointed out, "The defendant’s crime is very serious considering the overall content and method of the crime, including cruelly killing the victim’s pet cat as part of stalking." He added, "The victim’s mental suffering and shock appear to be very severe." Regarding the sentencing, he explained, "However, the sentence was determined considering that the defendant admitted the crime and is remorseful, has no prior criminal record, and reached an agreement with the victim."

Meanwhile, there was a recent case where someone took out their anger on a pet after being broken up with by their partner. On the 2nd, the Gimpo Police Station in Gyeonggi Province received a 112 report that a pet dog was abandoned on a road in Gurae-dong, Gimpo-si. The reporter, C, claimed that after breaking up with her ex-boyfriend D, she was threatened by D that he would kill their dog 'Jenny'.

According to KakaoTalk messages released by the 'Group for Helping Abused Dogs,' D sent C a photo of 'Jenny' inside a garbage bag for designated waste along with a message saying, "Jenny is dying because of you." C repeatedly asked D about the dog’s condition and where it was abandoned but received no answers. Police reviewed CCTV footage from the scene and confirmed that around 8 p.m. that day, D threw a designated waste bag on the roadside in Gurae-dong, Gimpo-si, then returned 10 minutes later, picked up the bag, and disappeared somewhere.

During police investigation, B reportedly only repeated that he abandoned the dog. Police searched B’s home but did not find the dog. The abandoned dog is a 4-year-old male Maltese. A police official stated, "The case was reported as a threat incident between lovers and is under investigation," adding, "We plan to investigate violations of the Animal Protection Act and whether dating violence occurred."