A North Shore man has been sentenced to drug and alcohol treatment after taking out his anger on his girlfriend's cat, Rascal.
Kyle Joe, originally from Vancouver Island, pled guilty earlier this year to charges of assault and causing unnecessary suffering to an animal, stemming from a fight over a pair of iPod headphones he had with his girlfriend on April 27. At the time, Joe pushed his girlfriend onto their bed and then said he would skin the cat alive if she didn't hand over the headphones. He then picked up and punched Rascal twice, one of the blows sending the cat careening through the air, according to the agreed upon statement of facts.
The cat was injured and initially walked with a limp afterwards, but has since recovered. His girlfriend was upset but uninjured.
Joe, who appeared highly emotional and contrite during the sentencing on June 23, was sentenced to probation after serving 56 days in jail without bail. He's also not allowed contact with his now ex-girlfriend or her family.
"You're still a very young man," said Judge Joanne Challenger, in encouraging him to seek help, noting that the actions he was sentenced for stemmed directly from his substance abuse.
