'Cat abuse' Zouma gets 180 hours of community service

Kurt Zouma, the French defender, has been ordered to carry out 180 hours of community service for five years for kicking and slapping his cat.

Handing the verdict at Thames magistrates court in east London on Wednesday, the judge also included a ban on the 27-year-old from keeping cats for five years.

The footballer became embroiled in widespread condemnation after footage surfaced on the internet of him booting his cat like a football across his kitchen floor with a pair of designer shoes.

Amid the outrage, West Ham FC, his club, fined him £250,000 ($315,000, 294,000 euros).

The defender also lost lucrative sponsorship deals with Vitality, the health-based company, and Adidas, the German sportswear firm, among others.

At the hearing, Susan Holtham, the district judge, scolded Zouma and Yoan, his younger brother who filmed the incident, that their actions were “disgraceful and reprehensible”.

“You must be aware that others look up to you, and many young people aspire to emulate you,” she said.

“The cat looked up to you to care for its needs. On that date, in February, you did not provide for its needs.”

The judge added that both defendants have expressed “genuine remorse.”

It was then ruled that Zouma would pay the court nearly £9,000, alongside his ban and community service.