UK court delivers judgment in Zouma’s cat kicking case

West Ham defender Kurt Zouma has been sentenced to 180 hours of community service.

This effectively means the France international will not be doing time after he admitted to kicking and slapping his pet cat.

His brother, Yoan Zouma, 24, was sentenced to 140 hours of community service.

He admitted to one count of aiding, abetting, counselling or procuring his older brother to commit an offence

District judge Susan Holdham described the actions of Zouma and his younger brother Yoan, who filmed the incident, as “disgraceful and reprehensible”.

“You must be aware that others look up to you and many young people aspire to emulate you,” she said but accepted that both expressed “genuine remorse”.

The Thames Magistrates Court in east London judge also banned the 27-year-old France international from keeping cats for five years.

Zouma sparked international uproar after a video of him emerged in February volleying the pet across his kitchen before throwing a pair of shoes at it.

He was seen slapping the Bengal cat’s head and saying: “I’ll swear I’ll kill it.” The clip, shared on Snapchat, featured laughing emojis.

It prompted West Ham to fine him £250,000 ($315,000, 294,000 euros). He lost a lucrative sponsorship deal and selection for France.

Kurt Zouma pleaded guilty last month to two counts under the Animal Welfare Act of causing unnecessary suffering to an animal.

As well as the community penalty and ban on keeping cats, he was told to pay court costs of nearly £9,000.

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