CAMROSE – Two Camrose teens accused of killing a cat by microwaving it received probation terms today after pleading guilty to a related break and enter to cause mischief charge.
All the other charges were dropped, including allegations of animal cruelty.
In a joint submission, both the defence and Crown agreed that while the two teens may have had a moral duty to remove the crying cat from the microwave, they weren't primarily responsible for its death.
The two boys, ages 16 and 14, were facing 15 different charges stemming from the December 29, 2007 incident. They were accused of causing unnecessary pain or suffering to an animal, and causing the death of an animal.
The 16-year-old was given 10 months' probation. Part of that probation includes a curfew between 9.00 PM and 6.00 AM daily. He can't communicate with the cat's family or his co-accused. He can't go within 100 metres of where the cat was microwaved. He has to pay $250 to the family and serve 100 hours of community service, and he is not allowed to watch or own any video game without prior approval of his parents. He also has to provide a DNA sample.
The 14-year-old got nine months' probation. All conditions are identical to his 16-year-old co-accused.
The two boys were part of a group that broke into a former friend's home while the family was away. They smashed up the place, then grabbed the family cat Princess and cooked it alive in a microwave.
Two teens convicted of killing the cat in September were said to be primarily responsible for its death, and were sentenced to a year-long probation with conditions similar to those handed down today.
The two boys in court today stood by as the cat was microwaved, the Crown and defence agreed. But the Crown said it would have been difficult to prove the boys knew the cat would be killed when they broke into the house.
slillebuen@thejournal.canwest.com
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