Patterson sentenced to 7 years in dog abuse case


Patterson

Brandon Patterson, 34, of Tecumseh was sentenced June 27 by Circuit Judge Craig Carter to seven years in the Missouri Department of Corrections. Patterson had pleaded guilty on April 19 to the class E felony of animal abuse.
During the plea hearing, Ozark County Prosecuting Attorney John Garrabrant had cited evidence including eye-witness testimony that Patterson subjected a small dog to torture for two days over the Memorial Day weekend in 2017. The witnesses said they saw Patterson put the dog in a garbage can full of water, force the dog under the water to the point of drowning, then allow it to breathe for a short period. When the dog recovered, Patterson would force it under the water again. This process was repeated for hours in two sessions over the course of the two days.
 Witnesses said that Patterson laughed and cursed the dog during the process.
Patterson admitted to the court that he tortured the dog because he didn’t like the dog and was angry with it.
Garrabrant presented evidence and Carter found that Patterson had more than two previous felony convictions, making him a prior and persistent felony offender. This finding made Patterson subject to enhanced punishment, that of a class D felony, which carries a maximum sentence of seven years imprisonment.
Prior to announcing sentence, Carter noted that a report prepared by the Missouri Board of Probation and Parole showed that Patterson had more than 10 prior felony convictions from Christian, Greene and Dallas counties, had failed to complete terms of probation and had been committed to the Department of Corrections on several occasions. In addition, the report indicated that Patterson was discharged from or had quit several court-ordered treatment programs. Patterson was last released from parole in July 2015.
Patterson’s attorney argued that Patterson had turned his life around, that he was married and had a small child and the incident with the dog arose out of frustration and stress.
Garrabrant responded that reactions to stress and frustration are quick and short lived and that Patterson’s systematic torture of the dog on two prolonged occasions demonstrated a depravity of mind that shocked human decency. He recommend that, based on the nature of this crime and Patterson’s long criminal history, the court sentence Patterson to prison and deny probation.
Following the sentencing hearing, Patterson was remanded to the Ozark County Sheriff for transportation to the Department of Corrections.
Garrabrant said that, because Patterson has previously been remanded to the Department of Corrections more than three times, it is likely that he will be required to serve at least 80 percent of his sentence before he is eligible for parole.

This report is based on a news release from the Ozark County Prosecuting Attorney’s office

 

Ozark County Times

504 Third Steet
PO Box 188
Gainesville, MO 65655

Phone: (417) 679-4641
Fax: (417) 679-3423