Between October 2018 and June 2019, families in Brighton repeatedly found their cats injured or dead. The 16 cats later included in the convictions were Hendrix, Tommy, Hannah, Alan, Nancy, Gizmo, Kyo, Ollie and Cosmo, who died, and Wheatley, Alistair, Rigby, Gideon, Samson, Jasper and Maggie, who were injured.

Evidence and sentence

The Guardian reported that the case relied on CCTV installed by a cat owner, mobile phone evidence and a knife recovered from Bouquet’s home. Citing prosecutors, the report said feline blood was found on the knife and Bouquet’s DNA was found on the handle. Bouquet denied the allegations, but the jury convicted him of 16 counts of criminal damage and a knife offence.

On July 30, 2021, Hove Crown Court sentenced Bouquet to five years and three months in prison. This archive records the 16 cats confirmed in the conviction. It does not treat other suspicions or community rumours as established fact.

Why these names are recorded

The court language treated the cats as property under criminal-damage law, while their families described the losses as the loss of companions. Recording the names returns the case from a headline nickname to individual animals who lived in homes.

Timeline

• October 2018 to June 2019: Cats in Brighton were attacked; nine died and seven were injured.
• June 2019: CCTV and police investigation helped identify the suspect.
• July 30, 2021: Bouquet was sentenced to five years and three months in prison.

Public Sources

• The Guardian: Brighton cat killer jailed for five years.