Thai toilet hamster killer jailed, fined for pet flushing frenzy

Taichung, Sept. 23 (CNA) A Thai woman was sentenced to 60 days in prison and fined NT$200,000 (US$6,560) for flushing 10 hamsters down a toilet and posting a video of it online, according to a Taichung District Court ruling released Tuesday.

On Sept. 19, the court ruled that 27-year-old Promin Wannapon had violated Taiwan's Animal Protection Act, saying her actions caused "unnecessary suffering to the animals" and "a negative influence on society."

According to prosecutors, Wannapon carried out the act on Aug. 27 following a dispute with her Taiwanese ex-boyfriend after their breakup.

At their Taichung residence, she flushed the hamsters down the toilet in batches, causing their deaths from impact, stress or drowning in the sewage pipes, prosecutors said.

On the same day, she uploaded four video clips of the incident to Instagram, and users reported the posts to the Taichung City Animal Protection and Health Inspection Office, which then alerted local police, said prosecutors.

Police later identified Wannapon as the suspect, and she was indicted for the animals' deaths on Sept. 11.

The court said it took her admission of guilt during the investigation into account when handing down the verdict.

The verdict is subject to appeal.