Assistant District Attorney Damon Lewis negotiated the plea, which was accepted by Judge Ray Martin. Lewis said this should send a message to those who may abuse animals.
“If you hurt a child or hurt an animal in Tallapoosa County, you are going to prison,” Lewis said. “It’s that simple. This has been an emotional case and one that involved some of the worst animal abuse I have ever seen.”
Patterson had been indicted on 12 counts of aggravated animal cruelty, two counts of animal cruelty, seven counts of failure to burn or bury animal remains and 54 counts of financial transaction card fraud. Three abuse counts were dismissed.
Under the agreement, Patterson will get 10 years on each of nine of the abuse counts and three years on each of the fraud charges. In accordance with sentencing guidelines, Patterson’s time on the abuse charges will be split, two years to serve and eight on probation. All of the sentences will run concurrently. The time given on the fraud charges will also run along with the abuse sentences.
The reality: Patterson will serve two years, with credit for time served and then face eight years of probation. Under the terms he will never be allowed to own an animal again.
The charges are related to conditions found last June where Alexander City Police Department officers found 14 living, but malnourished, dogs in outdoor enclosures at a residence where Patterson was living. Most of the animals were purebred Collies.
They also found the remains of six other collies on the property, officials said.
Only what appeared to be dirty rainwater was found for the dogs and information indicated that the animals had only been fed sporadically for months.
Before authorities could make an arrest on a variety of charges, Patterson went on the run.
Allegations are that he fraudulently used credit cards and stolen checks to fund his run from the law. Reports had him in Florida, Virginia and Nebraska before he finally turned himself in to authorities in Council Bluffs, Iowa, on July 24.
“He came into possession of two of his grandparent’s credit cards,” Lewis told Judge Martin. “He used those a number of times here in the Alexander City area and elsewhere and he did not have the permission to do so.”
Dog owners who were taken in by Patterson had mixed emotions about the developments. Marie Mullin had her collie Sammy with Patterson and her dog was one of the ones that died as a result of the neglect.
“I guess this is better than nothing and I’m glad he finally took responsibility for what he has done,” Mullin said. “It has been so tough. I mean Nick and I were close, and never did I have any idea that he was that kind of person. I spent time with him and even when he moved to Alabama and seemed to be struggling we offered to come help, offered him money and he would always say he was fine.
“It just hurt to know that I was so wrong about him. At least now we can move forward and hopefully he will learn from this.”
Patterson has been jailed on a $375,000 bond since his arrest on Jan. 21 following the indictments. He was also ordered to pay fines, fees and restitution in the case.
(AlexCityOutlook.com - March 4, 2015)
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