A 25-year-old man was charged yesterday over the brutal killing of a cat earlier this year.

Fajar Ashraf Fajar Ali is accused of throwing a cat from the sixth- floor staircase landing of Block 884, Tampines Street 83 to the ground in the early hours of May 26. He later allegedly slammed the cat on the ground twice at the void deck of the block.

Ashraf, who did not have a lawyer, told the court he intends to plead guilty to both charges of animal cruelty.

District Judge Ronald Gwee adjourned the case to Jan 9 for Ashraf, who is out on bail, to enter his plea in a community court.

The punishment for ill-treating an animal, on a first conviction, is a fine of up to $15,000, jail for up to 18 months, or both. For subsequent convictions, the person will face a fine of up to $30,000, jail for up to three years, or both.

It was previously reported that neighbours saw a man who looked to be in his 20s slamming a grey cat on the ground twice. The female cat was found lying in a pool of urine with blood flowing out of its mouth.

A few days before the incident, a black cat was found dead at Block 885 by a cleaner. Another cat was found with a dislocated leg.

The May 26 case was in the spotlight after the Cat Welfare Society made an appeal for information in a Facebook post on May 30.

In a statement after Ashraf was charged, the Agri-Food and Veterinary Authority said it started investigations immediately after it was alerted to the case. The cat's carcass was sent for a post-mortem, and the suspect's identity established with the help of police. Ashraf was arrested on May 31.