Kurt Zouma: West Ham defender to appear in court over cat-kicking video

Zouma and his brother have both been accused of offences under the Animal Welfare Act

Kurt Zouma has been accused of three offences under the Animal Welfare Act (Getty Images)

West Ham defender Kurt Zouma will appear in court on Tuesday after being accused of three offences under the Animal Welfare Act after a video emerged in February which appeared to show him kicking and slapping his cat.

Zouma’s brother Yoan, who plays for Dagenham and Redbridge, has also been accused of two offences.

The Zouma brothers are expected to appear at Thames Magistrates’ Court for a first hearing on Tuesday.

The RSPCA removed the two cats from Kurt Zouma’s home following the video’s publication in February and continues to care for them.

Zouma has been accused of two counts of causing “unnecessary suffering” as well as one count of failing to protect the cat from “pain suffering, injury or disease”.

Yoan Zouma has been accused of two counts of “aiding, abetting, counselling or procuring” Kurt to commit the offence of causing unnecessary suffering to the cat.

Kurt Zouma was reportedly fined two weeks’ wages by West Ham, worth around £250,000, but he continued to play for the club.