MARIETTA, Ga. -- A 21-year-old man was sentenced to serve 10 years after he was convicted of killing his mother's dog.
Darwin Kerrington Thompson of Marietta pleaded guilty in March to Aggravated Cruelty to animals after he allegedly "stomped the dog to death.
Authorities said after the 15-pound poodle mix named Brooklyn died, he took the lifeless body to a pet hospital and admitted he beat the dog to death.
Thompson was previously admitted to a mental health facility and during Tuesday's sentencing, his mother asked the judge for an alternative to prison. She told the court she felt responsible for not recognizing his emotional and mental problems sooner, saying, "I believe he should be punished. To me, he’s been incarcerated mentally for so long.”
But the prosecution disagreed, saying previous positive drug testing and his choice to direct "his anger on an innocent animal" warranted jail time.
The judge ultimately sided with the prosecution and sentenced Thompson to 10 years with two years to serve with the rest on probation.
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