Description
The Painesville man who tossed his dog out a sixth floor window and stuffed the body in a dumpster got the maximum sentence allowed.
Michael Sutton, 23, got the toughest sentence possible and a verbal beatdown from the judge for throwing his 3-month-old dog out of his sixth floor apartment window.
"You are vicious. You are revolting. You are cruel...I'd like to do to you what a lot of people would like to do, but I can't," Painesville Municipal Judge Michael Cicconetti told Sutton.
Sutton did not speak a word in court Monday.
The dead animal was discovered in a trash compactor at the Washington Square Apartments, leading to Sutton's fast arrest.
Previously, he blamed his mental illnesses, bipolarity and schizophrenia, and his failure to take his meds for losing control.
Sutton had previous domestic violence convictions for beating his mother and girlfriend. He also blamed mental illness for those incidents.
The judge noted that Sutton had been extended a chance for help that he failed to take advantage of.
"I am sick and tired of people coming here and claiming mental illness. Then we have to get you the medication and we have to pay for it, and you don't take it," Cicconetti complained.
Sutton was sentenced to six months behind bars and five years probation, the toughest punishment allowed for his misdemeanor conviction of animal cruelty.
Outside, a group of animal rights protesters called for tougher laws and stiffer sentences to protect abuse victim's like NOX, the mixed-breed dog Sutton owned.
Judge Cicconetti also banned Sutton from ever owning a dog again and predicted he would be back in court for other crimes after he serves his sentence.
