A retired Italian man could face up to a year and a half in prison if found guilty of killing his six pet hamsters and one guinea-pig by throwing them off his terrace into passing traffic.
The man, detained by police after the guinea-pig crashed into the windscreen of a car, told officials that he had accidentally knocked the animals off his terrace while sweeping, AGI news agency reported on Thursday.
Police in the northern coastal town of Imperia discovered the hamsters’ bodies littered across the street after the motorist complained about the broken windscreen.
By studying the trajectory of the pets’ bodies they were able to identify the pensioner’s apartment.
Under a new cruelty to animals law, the man could be sent to jail for between three to 18 months for killing the pets. He will also be held responsible for the damage to the windscreen.