Man arrested after allegedly beating cat to death with pipe wrench

ORF reported that a 35-year-old man in Rechnitz, in the Oberwart district, was arrested after allegedly beating his cat to death with a pipe wrench on Sunday.

He then allegedly tried to cut off the animal’s head with a spade and recorded the acts in videos and photos, according to the Burgenland State Police Directorate.

Two people alerted police after showing the videos and photos at the Rechnitz police station early in the afternoon. Officers then went to the man’s home.

The suspect showed them the pipe wrench, the spade and the place where he had buried the cat in a manure pile. He reportedly told police that the cat had scratched him.

Officers recovered the animal from the manure pile and handed it to the veterinary authority. The alleged weapons were confiscated. Ducks and chickens found on the property had no visible injuries, police said.

A preliminary breath alcohol test on the man was positive. He was taken to Eisenstadt prison. The public prosecutor’s office is considering requesting pretrial detention, according to police. A provisional weapons ban was also imposed.