A 60-year-old man has been sentenced to three months in jail for stabbing 10 red-eared terrapins with pencils in October.
Choi Man-sang pleaded guilty to cruel treatment of animals on Thursday at Eastern Magistrates’ Court, Ming Pao reports.
The court heard that Choi had been unemployed for at least 10 years, has a mild intellectual disability, relies on government support via the Comprehensive Social Security Assistance scheme (CSSA), and would normally carry pencils with him as he loves writing.
On Oct. 26, Choi was admitted to the Pamela Youde Nethersole Eastern Hospital in Chai Wan for surgery.
The defense told the court that Choi was feeling unhappy because of a headache after general anaesthesia, and bought bread to feed the turtles in the hospital’s pond.
But he then got angry and stabbed the turtles with his pencils after one of them bit his finger.
Choi was arrested in November days after the turtles were found in the pond.
Of the 10 turtles, six were found dead, and four had to be put down.
