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Article Archive > Belmar man gets jail time for cat deaths Belmar man gets jail time for cat deaths FREEHOLD - A judge this morning sentenced a Belmar man to two years in prison for killing two cats while working at the Monmouth County Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals. Under the terms of the sentence handed down by state Superior Court Judge Anthony J. Mellaci Jr., Daniel I. Mann, 32, must also reimburse the MCSPCA $852 for the necropsies performed on the two cats earlier this year. Mellaci also ordered Mann to perform 360 hours of community service at a place where no animals are present. Mann has credit for 277 days he's already spent in jail since his arrest. Mann said he wanted to apologize to his former co-workers at the MCSPCA and to his family for the shame his actions have brought to them. On Aug. 18, he pleaded guilty to two counts of animal cruelty, both fourth-degree offenses, admitting he killed the two cats, but blaming stress. Mann told the judge that while he was cleaning out the cats' cages, he "snapped" and slammed one cat on the floor, and strangled the other cat with a leather leash, authorities said. Both animals had been recovering from surgery - one had been spayed or neutered and the other had undergone eye surgery. Both would have been offered for adoption. In making his argument for a probationary sentence, Long Branch-based defense attorney John F. Hazard said he was not trying to diminish the March 1 death of the two cats, but he said his client loved his job and loved working with animals. He said what happened was not reflective of Mann's life and true feelings toward animals, but was reflective of his mental state. Mann has been diagnosed as bipolar and since May, has been taking medication for his condition, said Hazard, who asked the judge to impose a 5-year probationary term, with the condition that Mann spend a year in the county jail. But Assistant Prosecutor Brian A. Heyesey said the SPCA is a safe-haven for abandoned and abused animals and Mann breached the trust of his co-workers there. The Belmar man had worked at facility for about 18 months. In imposing sentence, Mellaci said he would follow the plea agreement, which called for consecutive one-year terms for each count of animal cruelty. |