A sentence is expected to be handed down Thursday afternoon for a Calgary woman who brutally tortured nine cats, killing seven of them.
In March, 26-year-old Aleeta Raugust pleaded guilty to nine charges involving animal abuse as well as a charge of threatening to damage property. She told police in January that she intended to burn down her former residence on 20th Avenue Southwest.
During sentencing arguments, the Crown requested Raugust be sentenced to eight to 10 years in custody as well as a life-long prohibition from owning animals.
The Crown’s requested sentence would set a benchmark for the longest animal abuse sentence in Canadian history, eclipsing the previous mark of three years. Justice Mike Dinkel indicated such a sentence would likely be too severe.
“You’re going to have to tell me at some point how that is not unduly harsh,” Justice Mike Dinkel told the Crown, “Maybe she should be in jail forever because she’s a psychopath, but I can’t do that. I can’t sentence her for fear of doing crimes in the future.”
In her psychological assessment, Raugust was deemed an impulsive psychopath with little remorse. The Crown said public safety is paramount in this case.
The Crown read a statement from Raugust’s mother asking them to detain her daughter saying she can’t understand her daughter’s offences and “I fear that if she is released she will commit more horrific crimes.”
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