Singaporean businessman Terry Yee Kok Chew was fined RM8,000 on Monday, in default of an eight-month jail term for whacking a dog named Furby with a crash helmet at a residential area in Puchong in April 2017.
Terry Yee, 58, changed his plea to guilty after the charge was read to him at the Petaling Jaya Magistrate’s Court.
In a video clip that went viral on social media last April, Yee was seen repeatedly hitting a dog with a helmet at the entrance of a housing estate in Puchong.
The video sparked outrage from netizens after it was shared on Facebook.
Yee apologised for his actions a few days after the incident and said he had “snapped” after the dog “attacked” him that day.
However, he later claimed trial and pleaded not guilty to animal abuse in August.
According to the New Straits Times, Yee’s counsel Jerald Gomez had asked for a lighter sentence for his client, saying that the dog was not seriously injured from the attack.
“My client lost his job (in the franchise business) after the video of the incident went viral on social media. He is also remorseful for his act,” Gomez said.
However, the deputy public prosecutor from the Veterinary Services Department said that Yee’s offence was serious and asked the court for a deterrent sentence.
Earlier reports:
Aug 3, Singaporean Charged with Abusing Furby, the Dog at a Guard House
Apr 13, It Gets Worse for Dog Abuser
Apr 11, Poetic Justice: Dog Abuser Loses Business Deal