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Sep 28, 2007 8:24 pm US/Central
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Man Sentenced For Stabbing & Setting Dog On Fire
DALLAS (CBS 11 News) ―
It took less than one hour for jurors to convict a man of animal cruelty in a case that received national attention.
Prosecutors said that Deshawn Brown stabbed and set his dog on fire because she refused to mate.
Animal rescue groups nicknamed the 10-month-old dog "Mercy." She died in March 2006, ten days after the attack.
"This case has been followed by caring people all over the world," said Martha Powell of Operation Kindness. "We are very proud of the State of Texas and its citizens, who made the laws and returned this verdict."
Lou Guyton of the Humaine Society of the Humane Society of the United States said, "This verdict comes as a great relief to us and to Operation Kindness, whose members cared for Mercy before she died and who have kept Mercy's memory alive here in Texas for the last 18 months."
Brown was sentenced on Friday to four years in prison and a $5,000 fine. The maximum possible prison sentence was 10 years. He will be eligible for parole in two years.
Advocates for the defendant said that they will consult with the state Attorney General's office about issues that came up in the trial. "We want justice," said Ronald Wright, Brown's friend. "This trail reeks of a dog and pony show."
Wright continued, "There was no gas can found. There was no weapon found. The witnesses that testified only testified to the fact that they saw the young man with a gas can."
"I don't think he's guilty at all," said Curtis Wilbert, another friend of Brown. "I went to him last year and asked him if he wanted to accept a plea bargain, because probation was offered, and he said no. He said, 'Mr. Curtis, I don't want a plea bargain because I didn't kill my dog.'"
CBS 11 News has been following this story since it first broke. Click on the headlines below to find out more details about the case.
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Mother Claims Dallas Man Did Not Torture, Kill Dog--
Man Accused Of Torturing Puppy Asks For Jury Trial--
Jury Indicts Corinth Man For Animal Cruelty--
Man Arrested In Animal Abuse Case
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