West Ham defender Kurt Zouma receives May 25 court date following cat kicking controversy

Kurt Zouma is set to appear in court in May as a result of the cat kicking controversy the defender was embroiled in earlier in the year.

Former Chelsea defender Kurt Zouma has been given a court date following the controversial video of him abusing his pet cat. The West Ham defender was captured by his younger brother Yoan kicking and chasing their pet cat, and the footage went viral and caused an uproar in early February.

Following the incident, Zouma had his cats seized by the Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (RSPCA). Both Kurt and Yoan, who plays for English National League side Dagenham and Redbridge, have been prosecuted under the Animal Welfare Act.

Zouma was also slammed by West Ham with a huge fine of £250,000 (?133,395,975) in retaliation for his actions. The Hammers swiftly condemned the act amid calls to remove him from the team.

David Moyes opted to ignore the calls and continued using Zouma and the defender was subsequently booed by rival fans in Premier League fixtures. Even after the footballer apologised, the incident cost him financially, with sponsors like Adidas and Vitality cutting their ties to the footballer.

Zouma will appear before a Barkingside Magistrates on May 24, six days after the Europa League final, which West Ham would be hoping to qualify for by defeating Eintracht frankfurt. The Hammers will play the first leg against the German side at the London Stadium on April 28 before the second leg on May 5.

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