Man in China jailed for scaring 1,100 chickens to death with flashlight

A man in China has been sentenced to six months jail for scaring 1,100 chickens to death in a feud with his neighbour.

The curious case began in April last year when the man, surnamed Gu, was upset that his neighbour, surnamed Zhong, chopped down his trees without informing him.

In retaliation, Gu, who is from Hengyang county in China's south central Hunan province, sneaked into Mr Zhong's chicken farm at night on several occasions.

It was unclear what Gu's intention was, but the court at Hengyang county heard that on one night, the man used a flashlight "to scare the chickens", according to state-owned China Daily newspaper.

This caused the birds to crowd into a corner, causing 460 of them to crush to death.

Gu was caught and made to pay Mr Zhong 3,000 yuan (S$581) in compensation.

This made him more furious and he returned to Mr Zhong's farm again to repeat his actions, this time resulting in the deaths of 640 chickens.

The Chinese authorities said the 1,100 dead chickens were worth 13,840 yuan.

The court on Tuesday said Gu's actions were intentional and sentenced him to six months jail with one year probation – taking into account the man has shown remorse for his behaviour.

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This article was first published in The New Paper. Permission required for reproduction.