The man was in the company of two other people when two witnesses who worked at a nightclub in central Kalmar saw them. The witnesses then saw how the accused man kicked the hedgehog repeatedly, of which twice into the air.
Acted in self-defense
The witnesses alerted the police, who, with the help of their information, got hold of the suspect. The man told the police that he accidentally kicked the hedgehog twice because he was afraid of it and did it in self-defense.
The man also tried to run from the police and was therefore pulled to the ground and handcuffed. He was also taken into custody under the Drunk Act as he was very drunk.
Especially reckless
The prosecutor writes in his lawsuit that the man’s actions are to be judged as gross as he kicked the hedgehog repeatedly and thus acted particularly recklessly.
The reason why, in addition to animal cruelty, he is also charged with hunting offenses is that hedgehogs are game worthy of protection and that the way he killed the hedgehog is considered particularly painful.
The man denies any wrongdoing.