Robert Prine, 51: In Ohio, when you strangle a cat to death, Judge Kathryn Michael will give you probation

OHIO -- An Akron man will serve 240 hours of community service and take anger management classes after he admitted to strangling his girlfriend's cat with his bare hands.

Robert Prine, 51, was also sentenced to one year on probation and to pay a $150 fine.

Akron Municipal Court Judge Kathryn Michael sentenced him Thursday. Prine pleaded no contest Nov. 23 to animal cruelty.

Prine's 50-year-old girlfriend called police Oct. 21 and reported that he killed the cat because was enraged over the smell of cat feces at their home in the 400 block of East Thornton Street.

Prine found the cat hiding beneath a mattress, grabbed it and strangled it.

His girlfriend called police and said that she was scared Prine might kill another cat in their home.

Akron police arrived and found the cat dead in the bedroom with blood around its mouth. Prine told police that he played with the cat until it scratched him twice. At that point, he said he was done playing.

An officer asked him if that meant that he choked the cat. Prine then admitted to killing the cat.

(Cleveland.com - Dec 4, 2015)