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MEDIA COURTHOUSE — A Collingdale man who left 5 kittens to die in tubs outdoors a Sharon Hill animal clinic over the summer season was given a sentence of time served to 23 months Thursday after pleading responsible to 2 counts of aggravated cruelty to animals.
Harold Thomas, 60, had been incarcerated since his arrest Aug. 21, understanding to a bit greater than a month per kitten.
The plea was negotiated by Assistant District Attorney Shuaiyb Newton and protection counsel Amy Lattari, and was accepted by Common Pleas Court Judge Margaret Amoroso.
Thomas had been charged with 5 felony counts of aggravated cruelty to animals inflicting critical bodily harm or demise and 5 misdemeanor counts of neglect for leaving the kittens in tubs outdoors the clinic on two dates in July and August. The remaining fees had been dismissed below the plea.
Thomas was held over for court docket on all fees following a preliminary listening to in October, the place Magisterial District Judge Tammi L. Forbes heard from two staff of the Spayed Club within the 800 block of Chester Pike, every of which found one of many tubs containing lifeless kittens.
The first advised Assistant District Attorney Nick McGuire that she arrived to the clinic about 5:30 p.m. July 15, a Saturday, to feed kittens ready to be rescued.
Upon leaving from the clinic’s entrance door about 20 minutes later, she observed a Rubbermaid container placed close to the entrance door with the lid taped shut. When she opened the container, she stated she was hit by a robust scent of urine.
“Then I noticed the two kittens inside,” she stated. “One was a calico, one was a gray and white, and they weren’t moving. There were no holes, there was no water in the container and it was very hot that day. It was hot and humid, close to 100 degrees.”
She stated she touched the kittens inside and so they had been already stiff from rigor mortis.
The worker went by means of surveillance video stills with McGuire that she stated confirmed a person coming as much as the door of the clinic from the rear of a close-by CVS at 7:39 a.m. that morning and leaving the identical tub she discovered on the entrance door earlier than returning the way in which he got here, empty handed.
She recognized that man in court docket as Thomas.
The worker stated there’s a signal on the entrance door of the clinic indicating it’s closed on Saturdays. She additionally stated there was no sustenance or anything within the tub.
The second worker stated she arrived on the clinic about midday on Aug. 12, additionally a Saturday. She went to get the mail after doing a little work and observed one other plastic tub close to the entrance door.
“I opened it and I discovered three dead kittens,” she stated. “The lid was taped shut. It does have a hole in the middle of the lid and there is dirt marks around the opening.”
She stated the kittens seemed to be moist, however there was no water bowl or anything inside the bathtub.
Video surveillance in that occasion confirmed a person once more coming to the entrance of the clinic with a bath and leaving it in entrance of the door at 8:28 p.m. the evening earlier than, the worker stated. She additionally recognized Thomas as that man in court docket.
In addition to the animal cruelty case, Thomas was resentenced on two prior instances for violating probation; a 2017 assault and 2019 cost of driving below the affect.
Newton and Lattari agreed to suggestions from Adult Probation and Parole that Thomas be resentenced to 304 days on the DUI case and 339 days on the assault case, each with rapid parole.
He was ordered to adjust to suggestions from a drug and alcohol analysis, attend secure driving college, pay any due prices and restitution, and keep in touch together with his probation officer. Amoroso warned that failure to take action might end in extra jail time.
