Costa Blanca animal-beating perpetrator set to be deported after killing partner's cat

The National Police arrested on Monday a man for beating his partner's cat to death in the street in the Costa Blanca town of Torrevieja in April. The court has ordered the detainee's deportation to Colombia, with a five-year ban on entering Spain.

The man was under investigation for the alleged crime of aggravated animal cruelty and gender-based violence in the form of "vicarious abuse".

The incident occurred at the end of April. The man beat his partner's pet to death with a stick. He did so in the middle of the street in a Torrevieja neighbourhood.

A video of the attack quickly spread on social media, generating outrage and prompting action from animal rights organisations.

The man of Colombian origin was in the country illegally.