Mr. Perrin, the accused, pleaded guilty to a single charge of killing a cat in violation of section 445.1(a) of the Criminal Code (Code). The case is now before the Court for decision. Because the Crown proceeded by indictment, the maximum sentence is a term of imprisonment of no more than five years.
Mr. Perrin contacted the landlord of his apartment building on December 3, 2011, at approximately 9:00 p.m., to request her assistance in removing a splinter from his left heel. He went to the landlord’s apartment and asked for her help in removing the splitter. The landlord did not notice any scratches on Mr. Perrin at the time. Later that evening, around 9:30 p.m., the landlord heard a loud banging noise coming from Mr. Perrin’s apartment, which was directly below hers. The loud noise was caused by a concerned resident pounding on Mr. Perrin’s apartment door in an attempt to elicit a response from within. Residents of the apartment building heard thrashing and nose banging coming from the apartment. They described the terrifying noise as sounding like a cat crying out in agony. After hearing this, a resident attempted but failed, to kick in the door to Mr. Perrin’s apartment. The resident could hear a cat whimpering from the other side of the door at that point, so he called the landlord. The police were called to the apartment. When the cops arrived, they discovered Mr. Perrin asleep in bed, wearing only a T-shirt. On the bed was a pair of bloody jeans. Mr. Perrin’s sneakers were also blood-splattered. Mr. Perrin’s arms, hands, and legs were also covered in scratches, according to the officers. He was also very inebriated.
Mr. Perrin was sentenced to 30 days in prison to be served at the Central Nova Scotia Correctional Facility on an intermittent basis from Friday at 8:00 p.m. to Monday at 6:00 a.m., beginning on Friday, November 23, 2012, and continuing until the sentence is completed. He was also sentenced to 24 months of probation.