Thursday, October 3, 2024
Thursday, October 3, 2024

Man avoids jail after stabbing nursery’s pet tortoise in drunken attack

Share:

A man has avoided jail after drunkenly attacking a pet tortoise at a nursery in California.

The tortoise – a 70-year-old African sulcata named Michelangelo – was found bleeding after being stabbed with six-inch shards from a wooden garden gate post.

A rake handle had been shoved between the animal’s head and leg and shattered glass put on its back.

George Robles, 42, was sentenced on Friday after he pleaded no contest to charges of animal abuse, commercial burglary and vandalism, the San Jose Mercury News reported.

He was also linked to other break-ins at the preschool in East San Jose, and stole thousands of dollars of items in the days before and after the attack in January last year.

Robles was sentenced to two years of probation and mandatory mental health and substance abuse treatment. He was also banned from having any animals for 10 years.

The defendant’s lawyer said his behaviour against the tortoise was the result of excessive intoxication, rather than animal cruelty.

The tortoise needed surgery following the attack and was said to be “doing great” by the vet who performed the operation.

━ More Like This

Dogs gifted by Kim Jong Un at center of South Korean row

​ SEOUL, South Korea A pair of dogs gifted by North Korean leader Kim Jong Un in 2018 are now mired in a South...

TSA: Handgun found inside raw chicken in luggage at airport

​ FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. Security officers at a South Florida airport have reported finding a handgun hidden inside a raw chicken packed in a...

Thai temple left without any monks after they all fail drug tests

​ A Thai temple has been left without any monks after they all failed drug tests and were expelled. Four monks including the abbot were forced...

Can a frog album knock Taylor Swift off the top of the ARIA chart?

​ An album of frog calls is hoping to overtake Taylor Swift and clinch the top spot in Australia's music charts. Scientists want to raise awareness...

BBC tries to understand politics by creating fake Americans

​ NEW YORK Larry, a 71-year-old retired insurance broker and Donald Trump fan from Alabama, wouldn't be likely to run into the liberal Emma,...