Provincial court judge Chris Cleaveley denied bail for Michael Mercredi, who was arrested at his mother's house at Spences Bridge, about 132 kilometres southwest of Kamloops, on Nov. 29.
Mercredi is charged with uttering threats, although prosecutor Joel Gold told the court the Crown will also soon press animal-cruelty charges in relation to the killing of the kitten.
The court was told Mercredi's mother and two younger brothers have lived in fear of him for months.
Mercredi has threatened his family many times, the judge was told. Most recently, he threatened to skin his mother, burn her and throw her off the bridge if she did anything to threaten his freedom. He also said he would burn down their house, regardless of whether they were in it or not.
The RCMP was called by the Cook's Ferry band, which told officers they had a growing problem with a non-band member. Mercredi is a member of the Kamloops Indian Band.
When interviewed by police, the mother said she sometimes slept in her car with her youngest son because she was afraid to be in the house with Mercredi.
She described how he killed the family's kitten. He broke its neck with his hands after warning it not to scratch him, Gold told the judge. His brothers saw the killing and watched him leave the house to dispose of the body in an empty lot across the street.
The mother also told police her son killed an adult cat several days earlier, by strangling it and smashing its head against a wall, the judge was told.
Mercredi suffers mental instability, his family indicated to the police, but also uses drugs, the Crown lawyer noted.
"She wants him to get help," Gold said.
Defence lawyer Rob Bruneau, acting as duty counsel for the man, said Mercredi denies he killed the kitten. He also denies he is a risk to the public, saying his problems relate only to his family.
But Cleaveley said Mercredi poses too great a risk to his family to be released.
"He is a young man abusing drugs and alcohol, his life is really out of control," said the judge.
"He's a man who must be detained for the safety of his immediate family. He is out of control right now and poses a substantial risk to his family."
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