Overview

• On July 9, the High Court granted the prosecution’s appeal and increased Barrie Lin Pengli’s sentence from 14 months to 27 months’ imprisonment.
• Justice Vincent Hoong called Lin’s actions among the most heinous animal cruelty cases and ruled that a mental health diagnosis does not justify violence.
• Second Chief Prosecutor Isaac Tan urged substantial imprisonment to deliver a clear societal message against repeated and brutal abuse of vulnerable animals.
• Between 2019 and 2021, Lin abducted community cats in Ang Mo Kio, suffocating some in sealed bags, kicking others and dropping two from high-rise HDB blocks, with police footage capturing the disposal of a carcass.
• The ruling underscores stricter enforcement under Singapore’s enhanced animal cruelty laws, which allow up to 18 months in jail and aim to strengthen deterrence.