Cat Killer caught by plain clothed night cops

Following reports of dead of cats found in Islington, late night police patrols caught a man who has been charged a man with animal cruelty offences.

Concerns were reported by members of the public about the discovery of a number of dead cats in the vicinity of the Pleydell Estate, Islington.

Acting on these concerns, plainclothes officers were deployed to the area to carry out overnight patrols. On Sunday morning at 4am, 12 February they stopped a man and subsequently arrested him on suspicion of animal cruelty offences.

David Avhanvhondo, 56, is charged with carrying out a prohibited procedure and causing unnecessary suffering to a protected animal between September 2022 and February last year.

• Carrying out a prohibited procedure on a protected animal
• Causing unnecessary suffering to a protected animal

He appeared on Monday at Highbury Magistrates’ Court, where he entered not guilty pleas to both animal cruelty offences.

He will appear again at the same court on Tuesday, 28 February.

Officers are asking anyone who believes they have relevant information to call 101, providing the reference 2701641/23.

Investigators are still working through multiple reports, around 20 cats identified so far.