A man has appeared in court in Britain on charges related to the deaths of nine cats in a series of nighttime attacks in the Brighton area.
Seven other cats were left seriously injured.
Steven Bouquet, 53, appeared at Brighton Magistrates' Court.
The security guard, with an address in Brighton, is charged with 16 counts of criminal damage and one of possession of a knife.
The charges follow a spate of attacks on cats around the city between October 2018 and June 2019, which the prosecutor David Holman said took place mostly at night.
Mr Bouquet entered not guilty pleas to all 16 charges of criminal damage and also denied a single charge of possession of a knife.
District judge Tessa Szagun told him the charges were so serious that they must be dealt with at a crown court.
Mr Bouquet was bailed to appear at Lewes Crown Court on 20 February.
The Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) has said the criminal damage charges did not detract from the seriousness of the allegations.
Cats and other animals are considered as property under English legislation, and criminal damage can attract a heavier sentence than animal cruelty.
