An Erie man pleaded guilty Monday in Erie County Court to beating his two cats to death with a golf club.
Christopher J. Bisbee, 32, pleaded guilty to one second-degree misdemeanor count of cruelty to animals in a plea deal that dropped an additional cruelty to animals count.
According to court records, Bisbee attacked the cats after one of them scratched him. He told investigators he felt "betrayed" by the animals.
He said he "struck both cats numerous times with a golf club until they no longer were moving."
As part of the agreement, Assistant District Attorney Mark Richmond said, Bisbee, of the 900 block of Pennsylvania Avenue, may not own any domestic animals while serving his sentence. He also must pay $263 restitution to the Humane Society of Northwestern Pennsylvania.
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Bisbee's lawyer, Stephen Sebald, said Bisbee waived his right to a preliminary hearing and applied to the Accelerated Rehabilitative Disposition program, a special probation program for nonviolent first-time offenders, but he was denied admission.
Bisbee also "proactively sought mental health counseling," Sebald said. A report from Bisbee's doctor will be submitted to the court before sentencing, Sebald said.
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Wolfgang said a tip triggered the investigation. According to the criminal complaint, several peo ple at Bis bee's residence implicated Bisbee in the animals' deaths.
She retrieved the cats' bodies from Bisbee's trash June 25, 2013, and discovered that they had "apparent trauma to their heads."
An examination at the North East Animal Hospital indicated the cause of death was "focused blunt force trauma to the head."
In an interview with investigators in August, Bisbee admitted he had killed the cats.
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