VENTURA : Man Ordered to Jail in Death of Kitten

A Ventura man was sentenced Thursday to 30 days in jail and five years probation for killing a 3-month-old kitten during an argument with his girlfriend in October.

Richard Wilmeth, 25, pleaded guilty in Ventura County Superior Court to one felony charge of animal cruelty after throwing the cat against a wall. The animal died instantly.

Deputy Public Defender Neil B. Quinn said his client “sobered up very fast” after realizing the consequences of his anger. “He was immediately remorseful,” Quinn told Judge Allan L. Steele. “He kept control of himself so that no one else was hurt.”

Deputy Dist. Atty. Isa Sawasaki argued for 60 days in County Jail and a court-mandated domestic counseling program for Wilmeth.

“This defendant seems to have a low boiling point,” she said. “He absolutely lost control.”

Steele ordered Wilmeth to report to Ventura County Jail today and urged him to get help when released from custody. “You need to address the alcohol and you need to address the control (issues),” he said.

The judge also scheduled a 90-day review of the case Sept. 10.