COVINGTON, Ky. -- A Kenton County Judge has sentenced a Highland Heights man to the maximum of 12 years in prison for breaking into a former co-worker's home and stabbing her two cats to death.
Back in September 2008, Russell Swigart admitted to breaking into a former co-workers condo in Lakeside Park and stabbing her two cats named Piggy and Mr. Frank.
Prosecutors say Swigart also sent Bridgett Wright text messages telling her what he was doing to the cats.
"He had to actually scale my deck and break in a glass door to get in my residence. I feel like he broke in in a fit of rage and anger to do harm and if I would have been home I feel I would have been greatly damaged myself or maybe killed," said Wright.
Swigart, a college graduate and former sales supervisor, apologized to Wright's family and admitted he had a mental problem.
The judge responded with a maximum sentence of 12 years--10 years for burglary charge and two years for torturing the two cats.
"So you get into a building that's hard to get into and you exercised a lot of energy killing two things you knew she loved best and that in addition to being illegal is just downright mean and rageful," said Kenton County Judge Patricia Summe.
For Wright, she lost not only her two pet cats that she considered her family, but also her sense of security.
Swigart will be eligible for parole after serving 20 percent of his sentence. That's about one year due to credit for time served.
Wright says she's willing to go to Frankfort to fight to keep Swigart locked up.
"He's a dangerous man. Anyone that's capable of holding down two house pets and brutally killing them in their home and then texting the owner to let them know what he did to end their lives in a tragic way I feel is a danger society and should be off the streets," she said.
Wright has also filed a civil lawsuit to protect herself from Swigart.
She's also set up
Web site about her two cats and the new Kentucky law.
This marks one of the first convictions in the Commonwealth of Kentucky under a new law that makes it a felony to torture a cat or dog.
