Snoopy
New York lawyer Anthony Pastor was convicted of brutally beating and killing his girlfriend’s dog, Snoopy. In sentencing yesterday, Pastor’s lawyer, Gerald Lefcourt, pleaded for leniency, claiming Pastor was tormented as the lone Jewish person at boarding school.
However, Justice Robert Mandelbaum wasn’t persuaded by Pastor’s School Ties story. As reported by the New York Post, the cruelty of the crime played a large role in sentencing:
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The judge said that the repeated blows “showed almost incomprehensible violence and malice.”
Snoopy was in “excruciating pain” up until she lost consciousness, the judge said, and Pastor “sat down at his computer in the most cold-blooded manner and went to work knowing that the dog lay dying on the floor behind him.”
Pastor received the maximum sentence of two years in jail. He’s received death threats since his May 9th conviction, and as such, the judge placed him in protective custody. Pastor must also register on the animal-abuse registry.
During the trial, Pastor’s girlfriend, Taly Russell, testified about finding Snoopy’s lifeless body. The dog suffered nine broken ribs, a pulverized kidney, and internal bleeding, and was found in the living room, next to a trail of feces. Also taking the stand was an ex-fiancé of Pastor who testified that her dog died under similar circumstances as Snoopy, though Pastor was never charged with anything in that incident.
Lawyer who killed lover’s dog blames being lone Jew at boarding school [New York Post]
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Kathryn Rubino is an editor at Above the Law. AtL tipsters are the best, so please connect with her. Feel free to email her with any tips, questions, or comments and follow her on Twitter (@Kathryn1).