Ex-worker gets jail for animal cruelty

A former Bedford County Animal Shelter worker who slammed a cat to the ground, leading to its death, was sentenced to 15 days in jail Tuesday.

A Circuit Court judge reduced a felony animal cruelty charge against Bryan Thomas Skinnell, 44, to a misdemeanor after a doctor testified that diagnosed psychological traits, including autism spectrum disorder, have impaired Skinnell's behavior.

Skinnell, of Bedford, was arrested in fall 2016 after an incident at the shelter in which a cat was found injured. The animal later was euthanized.

In a May court hearing, Skinnell entered a plea of no contest to the felony charge.

Evidence showed Skinnell was handling the animal with a cat-handling tool and found it difficult to get the cat back into its cage, Stephanie Ayers, deputy commonwealth's attorney for Bedford County, said in court Tuesday. At that point, he slammed the cat on the ground, she said.

Skinnell reported to other employees he thought the cat's back was broken, and it was taken to the animal hospital and was put down, the prosecutor said.

Leigh Drewry, defense attorney for Skinnell, called a clinical psychologist, Joseph Conley, to the stand, who had spent about four hours evaluating Skinnell.

Circuit Judge James Updike said he considered all aspects of the case, including that the cat's injury was "severe, aggravated and inexcusable" but also factors such as the doctor's findings and Skinnell's Air Force service.

Updike ordered Skinnell to serve 12 months in jail with all but 15 days suspended, and three years of supervised probation and good behavior.

Skinnell also can't possess or care for any animals, according to the judge's order.