Kurt Zouma, a West Ham United defender, has pleaded guilty to kicking and slapping his pet cat.
At a hearing at Thames Magistrates’ Court, the 27-year-old French footballer admitted to two Animal Welfare Act violations.
After an RSPCA investigation, Zouma’s brother Yoan, who plays for Dagenham and Redbridge, admitted to one offence.
Yoan, 24, recorded the incident and shared it on social media. Sentencing has been postponed until June 1.
Following a court order, the addresses of the brothers were withheld.
The court was shown disturbing video of the incident, which was shot at the West Ham player’s house and posted on Snapchat with ‘laughing’ emojis by his brother on February 6.
A woman who had been messaging Yoan later saw it and expressed concern.
Zouma was seen volleying the Bengal cat across his kitchen before slapping its head with a pair of shoes.
According to prosecutor Hazel Stevens, Kurt could be heard saying in court, “I swear I’ll kill it, I swear I’ll kill it.”
He admitted to causing unnecessary suffering to a protected animal on two counts.
Yoan pled guilty to one count of assisting, abetting, counseling, or procuring his older brother to commit a crime.
The woman who saw the video was so taken aback that she canceled their date, telling him, “I don’t think hitting a cat like that is OK – don’t bother coming today.”
According to Stevens, the offenses appeared to be committed after the cats were blamed for damaging a chair in the house.
“Kurt Zouma is determined to chastise or exact retribution for the damage done,” she said.
“There has been a rash of people hitting cats and posting it on various social media sites since this footage was made public.”
According to the court, the Premier League defender, who apologized for his actions, has since agreed to rehome his two Bengal male cats.
An independent vet who later examined the cats and watched the video stated that there were “no remaining signs of injuries” when he examined them, but that being hit and kicked would have caused suffering, while being chased would have caused fear or distress.
Trevor Burke QC, defending the West Ham player, said his client had been fined £250,000 by his club and had lost a “substantial” sponsorship deal with sportswear firm adidas.
Zouma had also been left out of the France national team.
Burke stated that his client had previously been of impeccable character, and that his fine had benefited nine animal charities.
He claimed that the defender had been subjected to abuse, including threats and racial slurs, which had “completely disrupted his life.”
One other charge against each brother was dropped following their guilty pleas.
Dermot Murphy, chief inspector of the RSPCA, stated: “It is never acceptable to treat an animal in this manner, and we were shocked when we first saw the video.
“What makes this case even more tragic is the manner in which the video was shot and shared, making light of such cruelty.
“We hope that this case serves as a reminder that all animals deserve to be treated with kindness, compassion, and respect, and that cruelty by anyone will not be tolerated.”