The Japanese man who earlier this year admitted to luring, torturing, and killing stray cats in Sliema has been sentenced to two years in prison, fined €15,000, and banned from owning animals for 40 years.
Okamura Satoshi, 31, had pleaded guilty in August to multiple counts of animal cruelty and to slightly injuring two police officers during his arrest. His sentencing was delivered on Tuesday by Magistrate Nadine Lia in the Court of Magistrates.
As previously reported by, Satoshi was apprehended in the early hours on Manuel Dimech Street, carrying latex gloves and cat food—items that linked him to a series of gruesome cat killings in Sliema. Several cats had been found mutilated, including one known locally as Pupa, which was captured on CCTV being violently slammed to the ground.
In court, Satoshi’s defense argued that his violent behaviour stemmed from a traumatic upbringing and that he should receive psychological treatment. However, the court described his actions as “brutal and deliberate,” imposing both punitive and rehabilitative measures. Alongside his prison term and fine, Satoshi was handed a three-year treatment order aimed at addressing his mental health.
The prosecution, led by Inspectors Elliot Magro and Jeffrey Scicluna Briffa, also requested his deportation to Japan once he serves his sentence, as his work permit has expired.
The case has drawn widespread outrage among animal welfare activists, who attended several court sittings and called for stronger laws against animal cruelty. Following Satoshi’s arraignment, members of Malta’s Japanese community raised more than €12,000 for local animal welfare organisations.
Satoshi’s lawyers have filed an appeal against the sentence.
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