20-year-old gets 7 years for slaying dog with sword (10/8)

Posted October 7, 2009 at 11:12 pm
Filed Under News | 2 Comments

By VINCENT LUPO
AMERICAN PRESS

A courtroom full of animal rights advocates watched Wednesday as Judge Kent Savoie imposed a seven-year prison term on a 20-year-old man accused of using a samurai sword to kill a dog last New Year’s Eve.

Aaron Simoneaux of Olla, formerly of Sulphur, was recommended for the state’s Intensive Incarceration Program. While in the 18-month boot-camp-style program, Simoneaux must obtain his GED and receive drug and anger-management counseling.

If he successfully completes the program, Simoneaux will be eligible for parole. Savoie gave the defendant credit for the 229 days he has served in jail. Simoneaux faced one to 10 years in prison on the charge of aggravated cruelty to an animal.

After the proceedings, District Attorney John DeRosier said, “The criminal justice system has sent a message to people who would abuse animals in Calcasieu Parish, and that message is, ‘We’re going to take care of you if you abuse animals in Calcasieu Parish.’ ”

DeRosier, the defense attorney and the judge said during the proceedings that it would be nice to have such large crowds present for hearings that deal with people who harm other people.

But, DeRosier noted, “animals have no voice of their own to speak and to be here at the courthouse. So they have to have people like the folks who were here in court today to take up for them.”

Paul Reynolds, the owner of the butchered dog, said he was happy the sentencing addressed both punishment and rehabilitation for Simoneaux.

Attorney Beth Zilbert, who heads the local chapter of the Humane Society of Louisiana, said she and others who witnessed the sentencing were satisfied. She said the judge gave Simoneaux the opportunity to get better and not come out of prison as he was when he went in.

During the court proceedings, public defender King Alexander told Savoie that Simoneaux had shown nothing but remorse for what he did. The defendant tearfully apologized to the court and, on the urging of the judge, to the owners of the dog.

Alexander said the defendant has an “irrational fear” of dogs due to an incident in which a chow, like the one the defendant killed, latched on to his face when he was 13 years old. But prosecutor David Kimball called Simoneaux a liar, saying the defendant’s version of events is at odds with the evidence.

Kimball said the attack was unprovoked and that Simoneaux “carved up” the dog “for his own gratification.”

He said the defendant is now trying to claim he acted in self-defense and is not accepting responsibility for his actions and deserves no mercy.

Alexander said Simoneaux has both mental health and substance abuse problems that contributed to the offense and asked the judge to take those matters into consideration during sentencing.

Simoneaux pleaded guilty Aug. 19.

At the time of the incident, Diana Morales with the Calcasieu Animal Services Department said Simoneaux used the sword to kill “Puppy,” a miniature chow mix that was more than 10 years old while the defendant was at an acquaintance’s home.

“(The homeowner’s) kids were thirsty, so he went inside to get them something to drink,” she said. “When he came outside, evidently (Simoneaux) was cutting up the dog,” which had wandered over after being scared by fireworks.

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Comments

2 Responses to “20-year-old gets 7 years for slaying dog with sword (10/8)”

amazing on October 8th, 2009 8:02 pm

In todays society, a person gets more time for killing an animal than (s)he does for killing a person.
He certainly should get the time delivered, but the irony is that so many murderers get less – ie: vehicular homicide. We have a screwed up system.
Gold on October 9th, 2009 7:55 pm

That was tragic.

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