This is the second time one of Sonn Kent Berrett’s court dates has been continued.
Initially charged March 11 with two counts of cruelty to an animal, Berrett was scheduled for arraignment the following day. It was continued to May 27.
Who is the Defendant?
"The abuser is Sonn Kent Berrett. His wife is not charged, no clue why. The 2 horses stood outside of their kitchen windows, in full view. A neighbor turned them in.
"He is an employee of SUU [Southern Utah University] and makes 61K per year. He received 2 misdemeanor charges of simple animal abuse. Felony abuse in UT does not apply to livestock.
"Friends and neighbors tell me that he has neglected other animals in his care. He was allowed to keep his dogs for now.
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Then on May 28, the status hearing for today was scheduled and rescheduled for Dec. 29.
No reason was given for the continuation, and Iron County deputies who were providing extra security at the court said they didn’t know why the hearing had been continued.
The advocates were also not privy to the reason for the rescheduling.
Told to wait out in the foyer until the judge was seated at the bench, the crowd never went inside the courtroom to have an opportunity to hear what happened.
They also never saw Berrett, who was escorted out through the back doors of the courtroom by deputies concerned about his safety.
Berrett’s charges, both two class B misdemeanors, originated from an incident in January in which Enoch City Animal Control received a complaint from a local resident alleging two horses were malnourished and freezing to death.
When Animal Control Officer Chris Johnson arrived on scene, she found what she described at the time “one of the worst” animal cruelty incidents she had seen in nearly 10 years of working in animal control.
“Except for one dog that I rescued who was in similar conditions, this is by far the worst case I’ve ever seen or dealt with in the 9½ years I’ve been an animal control officer,” Johnson said at the time.
One of the horses, Elsa, was allegedly found frozen to the ground and so weak from starvation she was unable to stand up when animal control got on scene.
Many of those at the courthouse Tuesday were there on behalf of Elsa, who was rescued that day but eventually died after weeks of care by local volunteers.
“The only reason we came to court today is to find out what justice Elsa gets because she doesn’t have her own voice. We’re her voice. Nobody was here in malice of any kind. We just wanted to hear with our own ears what was going to happen,” said Ginger Grimes, owner and founder of Dust Devil Ranch Sanctuary.
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| Despite round the clock care, Elsa died as a result of Berrett's neglect |
At that time, officials were able to secure a warrant to remove the horses from the residence to take them to Dust Devil Ranch Horse Sanctuary, where Grimes and other volunteers worked around the clock to save both mother Anna and the 18-month-old filly.
Anna was saved.
Berrett now faces charges in justice court. Besides the two class B misdemeanors, he also is charged with two class C misdemeanors associated with rabies, and two class B misdemeanors associated with failure to obtain a dog license.
Iron County Attorney Scott Garrett said at the time Berrett was cited that if convicted, the defendant could possibly be ordered to pay some of the costs that were incurred as a part of rescuing the two horses.
(The Spectrum - Sept 29, 2014)
Earlier:
- Southern Utah officers rescue horses from freezing conditions
- Young horse found malnourished, frozen to ground in southern Utah has died
