A man accused of brutally stalking innocent cats has been found guilty of all 16 counts against him.
Steve Bouquet, 54, was believed to have stabbed nine cats to death, whilst injuring seven more in the city.
A jury at Chichester count found him guilty of 16 offenses of criminal damage in reference to the cats, and possession of a knife.
The attacks occurred between October 2018 and June 2019, with this period coinciding with various public reports to the police of cats having been killed or injured in suspicious circumstances, not believed to have been accidents.
A suspect was unable to be identified at that time.
A breakthrough was achieved when detectives received footage of a cat slaying through the CCTV of an owner, who had set up protection following the initial reports of the incidents.
The trial heard accounts from owners as they discovered their bleeding animals on their doorsteps, with varying levels of survival.
Bouquet pleaded not guilty to the crime and chose not to appear in court while the trial went ahead despite his absence.
His initial testimony stated that his only experience of the case was the information he had read both in the newspapers and online.
When having his personal belongings examined, a photograph of a dead cat was discovered on his phone.
Sentencing will now take place on the 12th July.
Photo Credit: Chunli Ju
