A South Korean man was sentenced to 14 months in prison for killing 76 cats in one of the worst cases of animal cruelty in the country in recent years.

The Changwon District Court in southeastern South Korea said on Tuesday that the man, in his twenties, was convicted of violating South Korea's Animal Protection Act last week. The court did not disclose the man's identity.

The man killed the cats between December 2022 and September 2023 due to a deep hatred for the animal that he began to care for after other cats scratched his car, according to the court ruling reviewed by the Associated Press.

The court's order stated that he captured stray cats and adopted others from online sites before strangling some to death and killing others with scissors. The court noted that he killed one cat by running it over with his car.

The court determined that the prison sentence was unavoidable because he repeatedly committed "unspeakable cruelty" in a deliberate manner.

It emphasized that the ruling still reflects the fact that the man had no criminal record and that he had repented for his crimes, adding that it was found that the man's unspecified mental health condition was the motivation behind his crimes.

The man has appealed the ruling.

Boraemi Seo, director of the International Animal Welfare Association office in South Korea, stated, "The ruling reflects the growing interest of Korean society in animal welfare and intolerance for meaningless cruelty like this."

Seo added, "This cruel case also underscores the importance of passing a civil law amendment that will legally recognize animals as living beings and enhance their protection under the law."