Furby’s abuser fined RM8,000

PETALING JAYA: Furby, the guard dog that became well known after a video of him being beaten by a Singaporean businessman went viral, sparking outrage, had his day in court to see his abuser punished.

Magistrate Mohamad Ikhwan Mohd Nasir asked to see the brown mongrel breed after hearing him barking outside during proceedings yesterday which saw his abuser being fined.

The seemingly well-behaved mutt was brought into the courtroom on a leash by a veterinary officer.

Singaporean businessman Yee Kok Chew was fined RM8,000 in default eight months’ jail by the court for abusing the animal.

Mohamad Ikhwan passed the sentence after Yee changed his plea to guilty yesterday on what should have been the first day of trial.

He admitted to beating, hurting and abusing Furby at a security post at Jalan BK6 E/4 (1), Taman Melody, Bandar Kinrara, Puchong, Selangor, at 8.49pm on April 2, 2017.

Earlier, lawyer Jerald Gomez asked for a lenient sentence as the dog did not suffer grievous hurt.

After the incident, the accused lost his business franchise licence, and he had also apologised over his actions, he said.

DPP Nabilah Mohammad Zanu­din from the Veterinary Services Department, however, asked for a heavy sentence as a lesson to the accused and society.

In a two-minute, 43-second video that was widely circulated on the Internet, a man was seen violently beating a dog. The man fell off his bicycle after the dog broke free of its leash and barked at him, leading to the assault.

The video enraged animal lovers with some protesting at Taman Melody, urging for the man’s arrest.

On April 7, 2017, Yee apologised for his actions in an exclusive interview with TheStarTV.