Richard Barnett Jr., 20, pleaded guilty to two counts of cruelty to animals, admitting to hurting and killing one kitten, though said he was unsure if the injuries he caused to the second ultimately killed it.
The plea agreement calls for Barnett to spend between 2 and 23 months in Franklin County Jail for the charges, released upon approval of a home plan. Barnett said he is currently homeless, and would try to go to a shelter upon release.
The agreement was based off Barnett having no criminal history, making the sentence standard in accordance with Pennsylvania's sentencing guidelines. The charge's minimum sentence is restorative sanctions, such as probation.
Barnett said during the hearing that his actions stemmed from him being angry at the owners of the kittens. The first time, he threw the kitten on the floor, he said. The second cat he did not specify his actions, but said he was also angry at the owner when he injured the cat.
Court documents show there was a curtain rod sitting on top of a box in Barnett's room, that was bent and had brown/reddish stains on it and cat hair. There were also "brown droplets" splattered over white walls and furniture.
One of the kittens was found dead in a drawer in Barnett's room by the owner who was searching for it, according to court documents. It had blood on its nose and mouth and missing some teeth.
A second kitten was found lying on the floor of a bathroom, with a misshapen and swollen head. The lead investigator described the dead kitten as being "flat, like a deflated football."
A third charge of animal cruelty was dropped in the plea agreement, relating to a ferret found rotting in Barnett's ceiling.
Franklin County Judge Angela Krom asked Barnett about having any previous mental health evaluations. Barnett said when he was younger he had, and that Franklin County Children and Youth has a "whole stack of documents" on him.
Barnett said he went through treatment, and had previously been on medication that he said helped him immensely.
Barnett's attorney Casey Bogner told Krom that they had also scheduled Barnett to undergo a new evaluation this past Saturday, but it was not completed due to the winter storm.
Barnett told Krom that after getting out of jail, he hopes to go to the military, despite failing the test twice. He said he wants to study for it this time, and get in.
"It concerns me that you would not have the ability to control that anger, it concerns me greatly," Krom told Barnett.
Along with the jail time, Barnett was ordered to undergo a new mental health evaluation and treatment, plus pay more than $800 in restitution to the two kitten's owners. He also will pay a $200 fine on both charges.
"I'm hopeful that you will have some attention to that anger, that we can get that anger under control," Krom told Barnett. She said she was concerned that if he could hurt kittens the way he did, he could move on to people. "And we can't have that."
(Chambersburg Public Opinion - Jan 27, 2016)
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